Harry Potter and The World of War
by Miranda Flairgold
Summary: AU FINISHED! Sequel to OoP (my version), sixth year & real war in the WW, Voldemort causing trouble and the galant OoP fighting him with Harry to help them, Fudge's a jerk, dark times be warned, blood and guts and the smell of fear! Pranks! Foes!READ IT!
1. Default Chapter

Please don't read this story, (for your own good!) until you have read the first one. This is Harry's sixth year, my other fanfic Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix comes first.  
  
Please review!  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Lightning crackled down from blue sky into the grassy crater. When it was gone a tall boy with emerald green eyes, black hair and very tanned skin stood where it had hit the ground. None of the people moving about so much as flinched, they were too used to this youths coming and going in his slightly odd fashion to take much notice.  
  
"Look who got a tan!!! Harry! Right on time as usual. How are you?" Harry smiled at Aram, the other was hurrying about attempting to organize a bunch of people working on some project or other. Aram was the Order of the Phoenix's director for muggle murders by Voldemort and such.  
  
"Hello Aram." He walked on past, stopping to watch some new recruits practicing fencing. The instructor, Yotrisk, was shouting at them from the side lines.  
  
"Hey, is that Fred and George?" Harry asked in astonishment, it was, it could be no one else. Sitting on the benches across the court were Angelina and Lee, cheering their friends on.  
  
"Yes, it's a good turnout this year, twenty of them." Yotrisk said, taking his attention off his pupils for a few moments. His gray, hawk-like gaze focused on Harry. "How are you Harry? Keeping in shape?" Harry grinned, Yotrisk might be the Order's swordmaster but Harry had beaten him quite a few times, no one could match a well-trained Lightdancer. Harry was a Lightdancer, and a good one. The only living one as well. The Lightdancers were an ancient cult, now long gone, that had had the best sword fighters ever in their ranks. Harry had discovered them last year and trained himself to be one.  
  
"Harry old bean! Good to see you!" Harry greeted Fred and George with faked dismay,  
  
"Who am I going to find to replace you two on the team?"  
  
"Oh that shouldn't be to difficult, Gryffindor has a way of turning out good players just when they're needed. Say hi to Ron for us will you?" Fred managed to say before he was called away by another instructor.  
  
"Of course I have been keeping in shape Yotrisk." They both watched as the twins left and another two walked in. Harry smiled as he felt Jewel rub against his leg, she'd returned to a Fire lion pride, and would be staying at the Fortress. Jewel, or Jewelanarah, as her actual name was, had been caught by Voldemort, Harry had rescued her from certain death and they had become friends. Harry winced almost before the fight started, the young man on the right was not meant for blades, he was meant for archery. He told Yotrisk so and the other agreed. Harry, seeing the patrol he'd been looking for clustered around a great white, gold, black and purple dragon hurried over to them.  
  
"Ah Harry! Do you have the sketches?" Asked the patrol leader, a rather short woman named Shenya. Harry held up some drawings. They were attempting to find a good saddle for the dragons so they could be ridden. So far they weren't having any luck, but Harry thought he might just have the answer.  
  
"Yeah, see if you shift this strap around to here, and add a buckle here…" Harry went on, explaining his reasoning, changing the leather contraption already on the dragon with waves of his wand as he went. When he was finished he stood back to let them see his work. The dragon's head swiveled around to look at them.  
  
"Well Nirath? Is that good?" Shenya asked curiously, the great head bobbed up and down and a low rumble of satisfaction came from the great beast. "Alright then Harry, good job, this should work fine. Now lets see, gear, we'll need…" Harry didn't listen to the rest, much as he would have liked to stay he had to get back to Hogwarts before the feast. He walked away from the patrol, pausing to greet Lightning, his War Unicorn friend. Flame was out with a patrol in Norway. Hello Lightning, it is good to see you again. The unicorn answered by rubbing his nose against Harry's shoulder. Harry chuckled and patted his neck in return before continuing. He walked a little way until there was no one near him, then he vanished as he had come in a blast of lightning.  
  
Harry appeared again outside Hogwarts, noting with approval that the storm he'd sent away earlier was turning the sky blue again. He went inside and headed to the great hall. Professor Dumbledore entered soon.  
  
"Hello Professor, do think it would be okay if I went to Kings Cross and rode the train back? He asked, he knew this wasn't what had been planned, but still…  
  
"Um, that's a little odd, but okay, go ahead." Dumbledore said, looking at Harry curiously. Harry vanished in a flash of lightning.  
  
Harry arrived at the station before anyone else, appearing in the shadows where he was less likely to be spotted. He sat down on a bench and waited as people streamed in. Eventually he saw Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Hi, I just came down to ride the train with you, I was getting bored waiting around at the castle." He explained, they claimed a compartment in the back of the train and in a few moments the whistle blew and they started off.  
  
"Drat it! I forgot to do my Potions essay!" Ron pulled out some parchment, a book, and ink, and went o work, trying to ignore Hermione's glares. Suddenly something jumped from a basket across the room onto Harry's knee.  
  
"Hello there Crookshanks, so how was your summer Hermione?" Before Hermione could answer Ira entered the compartment.  
  
"Hi Ira, how was your summer?"  
  
"From your tan I can say that it wasn't as good as yours, my family went camping for two weeks." Ira replied, sitting down across from them.  
  
"I went to America for four weeks. It was really fun! Do you think Professor Binns will mind if my essay is two rolls of parchment longer then he asked for?" Hermione asked, sounding worried, Ron snorted. He turned back to his homework and Ira dragged Hermione off to see her little sister's new pet cat. Harry decided to go with them.  
  
The cat was a small Siamese kitten, Ira's sister Mariana was petting it to sleep when they arrived.  
  
"Oh, it's so cute!" Harry thought about Tiger and compared the two, Tiger was definitely cuter. The little kitten sat in the crook of Mariana's arm, asleep and snoring faintly. Harry quickly lost interest in the little cat and went back to their compartment. Ron was done with his homework so they sat down to a game of exploding snap. Hermione soon joined them.  
  
"Could you please keep the fireworks on that side of the compartment? I'm trying to brush Crookshanks!" Harry glanced over, Crookshanks was leaping about trying to avoid Hermione, Ron rolled his eyes, at that moment the train car shuddered and rocked. Harry leaped to his feet, another, and a loud bang, they were all thrown to the floor as the car rolled over and off the tracks. Their luggage came falling about as the car rolled over and over, with them inside it. They were crashing down a steep slope, the windows broke and glass shattered in, Harry rubbed his arm as a sliver of glass cut him, he bashed up against the ceiling as the car rolled again, then stopped. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
"Oh my God! What happened?" Ron said, pulling himself out from under his suitcase. Harry pulled himself to his feet, Hermione followed.  
  
"Come on, get your stuff, lets get out of here." Harry blasted the door open as Ron and Hermione summoned their luggage. They climbed out of the car and looked back up towards the train tracks. Harry heard Ira gasp beside him, the entire train was off the tracks, laying in pieces all over the hill. There were blasts of light and screams, robed figures running everywhere, a huge dark mark shot skywards.  
  
"Damn! Those cowardly death eaters! Attacking a train full of defenseless students!" The other three backed away from Harry, seeing his temper was up. Harry was seething mad, and worried. Reaching with his mind he managed to contact Dumbledore and tell him of the emergency. I'll do what I can he told the very worried headmaster. He pointed his wand at his throat., "Sonorus. Students report to the bottom of the hill, same side as the train is on, immediately." Harry then walked into a small open space and transformed. Lightning flash and thunder rumbled. Recognizing him students ran down the hill towards the small clearing where the Royal Aaron stood, glowing golden against the black sky. Fearing to get to close to him they stayed back, Harry lifted his wings and took flight. Rising above the scene he could clearly make out the death eaters and dementors swarming the train. Screams echoed around, the students weren't out of danger yet. Harry swooped down towards a small crowd of students and picked them up in his claws and carried them over to the rest. He just couldn't move fast enough. He could here death eaters using the Cruciatus curse on students, then, two full patrols of Order agents appeared. Harry landed lightly beside them and transformed again.  
  
"This is most of them here, the rest are scattered everywhere. There's about two hundred dementors and three score death eaters." He let them digest this information, it only took a second.  
  
"Okay, Harry can you transport the students to the school?" Harry nodded.  
  
"I can also get the other students who are still out there." The patrol leader nodded and the patrols took off, Harry transformed and took to the sky. He roared once, bolts of lightning lashed down and took the students to Hogwarts. Harry flew on over the chaos, taking time to electrocute and breath fire on a few groups of enemies.  
  
Harry shifted his flight pattern, he was starting to tire, all the students but six were safe. Finally he'd had enough and dropped to the ground, transforming back to human.  
  
He walked quietly through the forest, a few dead death eaters and dementors, and nothing else. "Lumos." He continued, then, through a gap in the tees he saw what he, and the patrols, were looking for. Voldemort, and a huge ring of death eaters and dementors, and six students standing in a tight bunch in the center. "Damn." The patrols were coming up behind him.  
  
"Alright, there they are, separate into four groups, one stays here, one goes around the back the other two on the left and right. I'll come in from above and get the students." They nodded and followed his orders, much to Harry's astonishment.  
  
"First group, attack in wedge formation. Second and third groups attack just after they do. Fourth group wait for my signal." He transformed in a brilliant burst of lightning and took wing.  
  
"Crucio!" Voldemort cursed one of the students, the patrols attacked, Harry forced himself to wait for a few seconds before letting out a roar of pure fury and diving, flaming at the battle. The patrols weren't harmed and the students were transported to safety. Harry landed and transformed again. One good patronus took care of the dementors. He called his sword and went into Lightdancer mode. Whirl, slash, jump, step back and swing, whirls, slash, jump, step back and swing, Harry went through the movements like a well oiled machine. Words Sirius had once told him when Harry expressed an unhappiness with killing people echoed in his head. No one likes to kill Harry, no one in the Order or on our side that is. But someone must protect those unable to fully protect themselves, someone must stand up and say I will not let you do this without a fight, someone must pave the way, show others good, bad, right and wrong. Someone must be the one to fight, if we do not someone else probably will, it's human nature, and then we'd have no control, and they might make a mistake. We Harry, the ones who fight, we do so because we do not submit to the protection of others easily, we will not let others fight our battles for us and cower in fear. And so we are here, doing what we were meant to do and what someone, us, must do, we may not enjoy it, but what we like and don't like barely holds a candle to what everyone needs. Suddenly Voldemort appeared from behind a tree, Harry whirled ot face him, bringing up sword and wand.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" Harry threw himself flat and rolled, his sword cut a slash down Voldemort's leg and he stood up, ready to dodge.  
  
"Grakizan!" The curse leaped from his wand and he threw a stunning spell after it. Voldemort brought up a powerful shield and turned both spells back on Harry who sent them spinning away from him.  
  
"Rahimvar Kundinbaq Stupefy!" Harry tossed out three curses in less then a second, Voldemort managed to parry all three and returned with a few others.  
  
"Crucio! Sharhac! Expelliarmus!" Harry turned the first one back on Voldemort, dodged the second and third. Voldemort dodged.  
  
"Nanavim! Invisibilatus!" Harry was invisible instantly. Voldemort side stepped his curse. Knowing any curse that would be powerful enough to get past Voldemort he would have to say out loud Harry used his sword and fists. A slam from behind and a quick stab opened a slash along Voldemort's face, split his lip, winded him, and cut a deep wound in his back. Harry ducked back and charged again, knowing it was only a matter of time before Voldemort brought up a spell so he could see Harry. Harry's next move cut off two of Voldemort's fingers, the next gashed the same eye Harry had nearly removed the year before, removing it completely. A strong kick broke a rib, Harry used a few handy moves to bash Voldemort's head against a tree. He jumped back quickly as Voldemort preformed the spell so he could see Harry and yanked out a knife. Harry gasped as sudden fire in his left shoulder told him he hadn't escaped unscathed, Voldemort pivoted to face Harry. But he was too hurt to continue, and Harry knew it, and so did Voldemort. Harry called down a lightning bolt. "Stupefy! Kundinbaq!" The curses and lightning hit Voldemort at the same time as he apparated out. Another bunch of death eaters closed in. Harry fought and fought, finally the last opponent fell, and he lowered his sword and took a look at his surroundings. The Patrols were finishing off a last few who'd run, and he was surrounded by about fifteen or twenty dead death eaters. Soon the patrols rejoined him, leading four prisoners. With a check to make sure all were present Harry called up his lightning and they all vanished in a crash, in a small mansion, a hundred miles away, Voldemort rolled to his feet and screamed in rage and pain.  
  
They appeared again in the entrance hall, the four injured students were sent to the hospital wing, the other two went with everyone else the great hall. Harry tried to follow, but suddenly swayed as his vision blurred.  
  
"Harry! Harry what's wrong?" It was Prof. McGonagal.  
  
"Voldemort's… knife…poisoned." Harry grabbed a railing to keep from falling, someone stunned him and everything went dark. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
"Ohhhhhh! Where is Harry???" Ron asked looking about, Hermione and Ira scanned the crowds of frightened students in the hall, no sign of Harry anywhere. The staff entered and went up to the staff table, the new students were brought in from a side door.  
  
"Before the sorting ceremony takes place I would like to apologize for the train accident, caused by death eaters that attacked the train. Fortunately no students were killed, though several were injured and are in the hospital wing. Your luggage has been gathered and will be in you dormitories when you go there. We are going to try to make this evening just the way it usually is, as much as we can. Fortunately Voldemort will be in no state to attack us again any time soon, he'll be recovering from injuries for some time yet.  
  
(AN: For lack of poetic skills I am NOT writing a sorting hat song.)  
  
Gryffindor got 8 new boys and 9 new girls. When it was finally over Dumbledore stood up for the usual speech.  
  
"Now I know you are all very hungry so lets eat!"  
  
"Finally!" Ira said, as the food appeared, "I thought he'd never get around to it."  
  
"Did you notice that there were more new Gryffindors then every before? This school's getting really full, even Slytherin got a lot of new students!" Ron said between mouthfuls.  
  
"I wonder how Harry is? And where he is." Ira said, most of the Gryffindors looked very worried.  
  
"He'll be okay, Harry knows how to take care of himself, he got all of us out." Hermione pointed out, though she too was worried for their friend. The meal ended and Dumbledore stood again.  
  
"Welcome everyone, to a new year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry! The Forbidden Forest is of course out of bounds to Everyone. The Order of the Phoenix is no longer in residence. They have a small outpost in the castle but they won't be here very often. Now Professors Lupin and Hagrid will both be teaching Care of magical Creatures, both of them have other things they need to do so they'll be switching on and off all year. Professor Figg, who many of you may know from last year, will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Remus Lupin will be her co-teacher as Mundungus Fletcher will be your Care of Magical Creatures teacher. You should all know that the Charms and Defense classrooms decided to switch places over the summer. Because of the threat of Voldemort is not yet gone all students must be inside by five p.m. and should alert prefects and staff if they see any hooded or masked strangers near the castle. Hogsmead visits have started again, quidditch teams will need new players since many graduated last year. The first match is Hufflepuff vs. Gryffindor in three weeks, first years are reminded that they are not allowed their own brooms or to be on the quidditch team. Hopefully by tomorrow we'll have a full report for you on what exactly happened this evening with the train, the injured students, and the battle. Good night." The students slowly left the hall to their houses without the usual happy chatter, except for Malfoy who was muttering angrily.  
  
"I'll tell my father about this, stupid Dumbledore, should have protected the train, I could have been killed. Bet Potter's off doing something 'heroic' Ha! They just make him sound so cool and powerful, their poster boy, famous Potter does it again. The little jerk, probably wet himself at the thought of the dark lord coming after him again." Ron wheeled around and punched Malfoy in the gut, Ira shot a jelly legs jinx at him, they hurried off when they saw McGonagal looking their way. However she had heard Malfoy and chose not to comment.  
  
  
  
  
  
(AN: sorry it's such a short chapter. Thank you all who review!) 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
The next morning breakfast was very quiet, after everyone had eaten the plates and food vanished and the headmaster stood to speak.  
  
"Yesterday death eaters attacked the Hogwarts Express ten miles from Hogwarts. Taking immediate action Harry Potter called everyone together on one side of the tracks and contacted me, that was the first word anyone here at the castle got of the disaster. When two patrols of Order of the Phoenix agents arrived most of you were already together in a clearing. You were then transported to the school doors by Harry, who, as you know, has a gift with lightning. The patrols and Harry went back for the last six who had been captured by Voldemort. Once again Harry led the attack, transforming into his animagus form and attacking Voldemort and his supporters, teleporting the rest of the students to safety with lightning. The patrols attacked in a planned formation on the outside of the death eater mob, Harry killed off the dementors and untransformed, at this point he was attacked by Voldemort himself." Here the headmaster paused for gasps then continued. "I must say that in the ensuing wizards duel and swordfight Harry kicked Voldemort's butt. Voldemort has lost what remained of his left eye, been stunned and electrocuted, burned, gashed on his right leg and the side of his face, split his lip, been stabbed in the back and had two fingers cut off. Harry escaped but he has a knife wound on his right shoulder, the knife was poisoned and he is currently running a high fever. With this on top of the injuries he received last year his body can't take much more, he won't be back among us for two days at least. The Order patrols did a remarkable job finishing off the death eaters in record time. They've returned to the Order of the Phoenix Fortress. Now it's time for class." The students left the hall in shocked silence or talking loudly.  
  
"Poor Harry! Let's go see him after lunch." Ron suggested,  
  
"No, we have History of Magic, after dinner will be fine though." Ira said, pulling out a schedule, they had Potions first thing.  
  
"Poor guy, he'll miss the first day back." Hermione said, as if this were some great tragedy.  
  
"I don't think he'll mind missing Divination Hermione." Ron replied, looking over his own schedule.  
  
"Lucky, though I don't envy him the injuries. Come on, we'll be late." Ira said, pulling them along towards the Potions classroom.  
  
"Oh Weasely, Mudblood, are you scared now? Your friend isn't here to protect you, noble Potter lost to the dark lord, they're just saying he did good. Don't want to ruin his public image." Ira grabbed Ron to keep him from hitting Malfoy again, Pansy Parkinson too was sneering and making comments.  
  
"I bet he'll come back looking like Mad Eye, won't think he's so good looking then! Pitiful mutilated Potter!" Her friends snickered as the trio passed.  
  
"Better start planning the funeral, Potter'll be dead soon, did you hear Dumby? He can't take much more." Draco called at them, Hermione slapped him across the face, he staggered back, rubbing his cheek.  
  
"Stupid Mudblood lovers, you'll be dead soon, no brave Potter to save you, he'll be too scared, die of fright if the dark lord shows up." Sam, Dean, and Neville attacked him as one, Crabbe and Goyle ran forward to help. Professor Snape suddenly rounded the corner.  
  
"Weasely! Granger! What is going on here?" He yelled, sneering at them evilly.  
  
"We didn't do anything, Malfoy and his sidekicks were insulting Harry, said he'd die of fright if he-who-must-not-be-named showed up again. Said we should start planning a funeral and making all sorts of other mean comments." Snape glared at them,  
  
"Fifty points from Gryffindor for fighting in the halls and detention tonight, and forty from Slytherin, now get to class before I give you a detention too!" They hurried off, hoping they weren't late.  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  
  
Harry groaned and opened his eyes, of course, he was in the hospital wing, first day back too. Drat. I must be injury prone around Voldemort. Then again, who isn't?  
  
"Hey Tiger," he murmured to the cat, who was curled up beside him purring in the sun. Harry could have sworn Tiger smiled at him.  
  
"Good morning Harry, nice to see you awake." Harry twisted so he could see Dumbledore clearly, the Headmaster was seated at the foot of his bed smiling away. Harry nearly growled like Tiger at the all too familiar sight.  
  
"Good morning, how long have I been asleep?" He asked, almost dreading the answer.  
  
"Just about 28 hours, here." Dumbledore handed him a tray with breakfast on it. Harry sat up, disturbing Tiger who growled and stretched, lashing his tail at Harry.  
  
"How much longer will I have to stay here?" Harry asked as he ate, glancing at his schedule on the table beside him.  
  
"You can leave as soon as you're done, you had an awful fever the first fifteen hours, but the poison's worn off and you'll be fine." Harry wrinkled his nose, he had Potions first thing today. Perhaps he could find a way to be late of not go at all. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
Two days after Harry rejoined the students he decided that it was time for the pranksters to go to work, the school needed some laughs. They began to plan in secret, hours spent working on their brilliant scheme #144.  
  
The next morning at breakfast Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ira put their Slytherin & Snape humiliation plan into action. About halfway through breakfast the wall at the back of the great hall began to change into a curtain, which lifted up to reveal a TV like screen. Soon words appeared.  
  
1 The following is a production of  
  
The Mischievous Marauders: Makers of Magical Mayhem Inc. (M&M&M&M&M Inc.)  
  
The Marauders of Hogwarts are proud to present  
  
1.1 A Slytherin Pajama Party  
  
Next came a view of the Slytherin common room, slowly Slytherins in pajamas gathered in it. Everyone was wearing the craziest, stupidest, ugliest, most absurd pajamas ever. (For example: lime green with pink and orange polka- dots and a jesters cap. A gigantic pink dress with tons of black frills and a hat with pink rabbits ears and pink rabbit slippers with black bows on the toe tips. Pansy in a Big Bird costume with chains dragging from his feet and long red and green striped slacks and a huge pointed hat with tulips sprouting from the top. Malfoy in a yellow ducky outfit with a foot ball helmet, and baby blue slippers with yellow stars on them carrying a brown teddy with its eyes ripped out. You get the picture?) The party began, circus music came on, Pansy tried juggling pickled frogs, Malfoy was attempting to do fourteen hula-hoops, Carbbe and Goyle dressed up as horses and banged about on hands and knees while Zimbini and Millicent stood on their backs and acted like trick riders. A large group in shiny purple silk pajamas with beach balls, sandcastles, and little pinkish Barney's on them formed a human pyramid. A whole bunch of Slytherins in stupid drag costumes were dancing on the furniture, another group in fluffy furry Furby pajamas with clown feet and sombreros acted like dominos, fall down one way, stand up, line up, fall down the other way. The laughter in the hall nearly shook the castle down. The baton twirlers were all in butterfly costumes with huge blue fake mustaches, blue rabbit ears and pale green leotards, their purple and yellow batons twirled about, occasionally knocking the twirler and the people on either side over the head leaving gigantic purple lumps. Everyone was cracking up now, Harry, Ron, Ira, and Hermione were slapping eachother on the back. The party seemed to end, then a long yellow carpet appeared, floating two feet in the air and leading out the door. The Slytherins stared, then got these big dopey grins and music started, they began to sing. "Follow the yellow brick road, follow the yellow brick road, follow-follow, follow, follow the yellow brick road. The skipped off along the carpet still singing joyfully. The scene changed to just outside the castle, they were all still prancing and twirling along the carpet towards the end, which ended right over the lake. "Follow, follow, follow, (they start dancing off the edge of the carpet and falling into the lake) follow the yellow brick road, we're off to see the lake, the bottom of the laaaaaaaa (last in line Malfoy jumps off the end) aaaaaaake!" Very loud splash. The screen went dark. The students were laughing so hard they cried. People were getting the hiccups and choking on laughter, it was just too funny. The four gave eachother high fives, they were overjoyed with their success.  
  
"Come on, it's time for Defense." Hermione said, realizing what time it was. The students were just starting to leave the hall, the four of them hurried away, eager to see if Figg was a good teacher.  
  
They reached the Defense room first and hurried in, Prof. Figg was behind a long desk at the front, twiddling her wand. Remus was sitting on one end of the desk, flipping through a book.  
  
"Hello, first here, you like defense that much huh?" Remus said, grinning at them.  
  
"Or did you just want to get away before anyone realized who it was that put out that thing at breakfast?" Professor Figg asked, grinning widely at their astonishment. "I was an Honorary Marauder, and it wasn't to hard to guess who would do that, the Slytherins were always James and Sirius's favorite target." She added, smiling at Harry, the four took seats in the front of the room, two Marauders for defense teachers, this was going to be a good year.  
  
"Hello I am Professor Figg and this is Professor Lupin who you know. We'll be jointly teaching this class, professor Lupin will do dark creatures and jinxes, I'll do hexes, curses, and other forms of self defense. This year we'll start you off with the disintegration curse. This curse, once it hits, slowly disintegrates your opponent, a very nasty curse, almost as bad as the Cruciatus curse as far as pain goes. The incantation for it is "Sharhac". Before this curse is preformed the users wand will glow orange for a few seconds, that's all the warning you'll have. The way to escape it is to duck, use the disintegration curse yourself to counter it, or perform the advanced shield spell and hope it works, it doesn't always hold. This curse is considered a dark curse, one of Voldemort's favorites besides the Unforgivables." She waited while the class finished taking notes on what she'd just said, Harry wrote down very little, he knew all about this curse already.  
  
"Now we can't, for obvious reasons, practice this curse on eachother. Instead we'll be doing imitations of it. You'll be called up two by two to practice dodging and recognizing the signs of this curse about to be used." She started off with Harry and Hermione.  
  
"Now both of you stand here, I'm going to be shooting light at you, and you have to know when to dodge. I'll shoot at either one of you randomly." She began by shooting beams of light at them, the light didn't hurt and neither moved when they were hit. Then Harry saw her wand flicker, instinctively he dodged, the second one got Hermione who hadn't moved.  
  
"Well done Harry, you know how to deal with this curse huh?" Harry nodded, Hermione was kept up there and Tanya was called to be the other person, Harry went back to his seat. They spent the entire class working on this, dealing with the disintegration curse.  
  
"That wasn't so bad, but it's hard to tell when it's going to be used." Ira commented as they left defense for Care of Magical Creatures.  
  
Outside Professor Fletcher was waiting near the picnic tables that were the CoMC class room. Everyone sat down, this class was Gryffindors and Slytherins again.  
  
"Okay, now to start off the year we'll be studying War Unicorns. Leave your things here, you won't need them yet, and follow me." He led them towards the forest, on the edge of the forest he stopped and waited for everyone to catch up. Harry scanned the trees, picking out the form of the unicorn in seconds. "Now everyone the War unicorn I'm about to show you is still rather young and hasn't had much contact with humans outside the Order of the Phoenix. Lightning, please come out." The unicorn emerged, mane sparkling in the sun. The were ohs and ahs form the students, except the Slytherins. "War unicorns don't like to be petted at all, so please don't." Professor Fletcher led them all back to the tables, the unicorn following them at a safe distance. Once back he began giving a lecture on War Unicorns, which Harry basically ignored. He then called them up, one by one, to meet Lightning. When Harry was called he walked up confidently and petted Lightning on the shoulder. Hello again Lightning, nice to see you. Lightning swished his tail lightly and replied. Surprise Harry! When they needed a volunteer I offered to come. The unicorn leaned into his petting and closed his eyes happily. Had he been a cat he would have purred. Harry, these people aren't so bad, but I get a strong sense of disrespect and cruelty from the…um I think you call them Slytherins? Harry sighed, just what he'd expected from them. Don't mind them, unless they hurt or annoy you, then feel free to kick them, just not to hard okay? They're just ignorant students. He got an agreement from Lightning, them professor Fletcher spoke again. "Well Harry since he seems to like you how about you try to ride him?" He'd barely finished before Harry was on Lightning's back in one leap, the unicorn turned his head back for a nose rub, Harry obliged and then they took off. You are not so heavy, this is fun. Harry smiled and leaned forward, wind whipping about them as they sped up, faster and faster, making his eyes water. War Unicorns could reach speeds of almost 180 –220 miles an hour at an all out run. They turned gracefully, both leaning into the turn as one and ran back. The came in from the side, before them was an empty table. Harry leaned down lower and urged Lightning on, the War Unicorn gather himself and sprang, they sailed over the table, and the next one, to land on the other side and run on. At the same time they both wheeled about in perfect form and trotted back to the awed class. There were cheers as Harry hopped off Lightning, the war unicorn wasn't even breathing hard, unicorns could run for days on end with very little rest, that had been no more the a six yard run would have been for Harry.  
  
"Well done Harry! Now, do you think you could convince him to let everyone else have a short try?" Harry turned back to his friend, Is that alright with you Lightning? They waited while the unicorn considered it. Yes, but if they hurt me I'll burn them. Harry nodded and turned back to Mundungus.  
  
"He will, but if they hurt him he might burn them, I don't know." He said, not wanting anyone to know about his ability to speak with Lightning The students lined up and one by one got a short ride on Lightning, who seemed to be enjoying himself. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
Crash! Harry dodged and stepped back, switching his sword to his left hand. Ira whirled and attacked, Harry parried and switched hands again, ducked her blade and twisted it out of her hand. His sword swung around to stop at her throat. She sighed and shook her head.  
  
"Drat." Harry stepped back and lowered his sword, "I almost got you!" She added triumphantly. Hermione and Ron applauded from the side on the room where they were stretching out. Harry grinned and sheathed his sword they left the mat and Hermione Ron took their places. Hermione and Ron lifted their knives in a short salute, BOOM! The castle shook.  
  
"What was that?" Hermione asked, staring around in astonishment, another loud bang and a shout. They all ran from the room, through the secret door and down to the common room. Students were pouring into the room from their dormitories. Shouts came from downstairs, Harry ran to the portrait hole and said the password, it swung open and he leaped through. A bright flash of light and a shout came from the stair ways. He hurtled down the stairs and out onto a landing a floor below the entrance to Gryffindor tower. On the landing below and to his right stood Dumbledore, his wand was out and he was looking around warily. A death eater lay on the ground, tied up tightly. He had obviously been attacked, but the other attacker had vanished. Students from the other houses were gathering on the lower landings and stairways, watching him. The other Gryffindors gathered on their landing above Harry. The Professors were coming from high above on the third floor. Suddenly a loud bang, two shouts and a flash of light came from the shadows behind the headmaster, he whirled around and returned with a curse, suddenly spells shot around coming from everywhere around him, hitting him in the back and side. He toppled to the floor, four hooded and masked death eaters came from the shadows, one was struggling with Fawkes. He stunned the Phoenix as the other raised his wand and pointed it at Dumbledore. Harry ran down the stairs towards them.  
  
"Avada Ke-" he was cut off as Harry threw three curses at them. The two men stumbled and fell, their wands jumped up and landed a little ways away from them. One of them was turned to stone, two more were tied up tightly and stunned. A stunning spell from one of the Professors got the other. Harry leaped the last few steps and landed beside the headmaster, unstunning Fawkes as he did. Madam Pomfrey, and Professors Snape and McGonagal arrived a moment later. Madam Pomfrey knelt beside the headmaster and pulled out her wand. Silence reigned as the students and professors watched McGonagal spoke.  
  
"Will he live?" She asked softly, Dumbledore wasn't visibly breathing anymore.  
  
"His heart is slowly stopping, he's got a few more seconds left." Madam Pomfrey choked out. Harry moved instinctively, knowing exactly what to do.  
  
"Here this'll help!" He reached out a hand over the headmaster, lightning crackled down and hit Dumbledore right over his heart. Dumbledore began to twitch slightly. The Lightning vanished, he shivered, and stopped moving completely, Snape turned on Harry.  
  
"Traitor! Murderer!" His wand came out and snapped down to point at Harry, a blast of power knocked Harry off his feet and back into the railing which broke and splintered, he went crashing down off the landing and flipped, crashing off a gargoyle on the wall and bouncing off a protruding carving to land on the floor of the entrance hall two stories below in a heap of stone shards. Snape stood and went to the railing raising his wand again, a look of intense rage on his face, Madam Pomfrey suddenly yelled out,  
  
"Severus stop! Harry didn't kill him he saved him!" The Potions master swung around in shock. Madam Pomfrey went on, frantically, her wand moving in blur over the headmaster. "That lightning started his heart going again, Harry just saved his life he didn't kill him!" She jumped up and went to the edge of the landing, Harry lay in a crumpled heap below, unmoving. "You may have killed him! All he did was save the Headmaster!" Snape and McGonagal traded looks and jumped over the edge and dropped to the floor beside Harry, using a levitation spell to slow their fall. Professor McGonagal knelt beside Harry's limp form.  
  
"Damn you Severus! Can't you have a little faith in Harry? He'd rather die than kill Albus!" She shouted, she sounded like she wasn't sure if she should kill Snape or cry over Harry. Severus suddenly seized up and fell to the floor, twitching, a sob escaped him.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" McGonagal demanded.  
  
"The Phoenix," was all Snape could get out between gasps of pain. McGonagal sneered at him.  
  
"Well the Lord Phoenix has every right to be enraged with you! I wouldn't be surprised if he kills you himself for this!" She went back to Harry, on the landing above Madam Pomfrey had awoken the headmaster, who stood up, Madam Pomfrey explaining what had happened in a whisper. The students looked on in shocked silence. A look of anger appeared on the headmaster's face, he picked up Fawkes and stepped over the edge of the landing, dropping to the floor the same way McGonagal and Snape had, Madam Pomfrey followed. On the ground Snape had stopped witching and was struggling to his feet, he stopped as Dumbledore landed and gave him a look cold enough to freeze a ghost.  
  
"Go, I believe the Order and the Phoenix will want to have a few words with you about this." His voice was just as cold as his eyes, he turned away as Snape dragged himself to his feet and hurried from the hall. Madam Pomfrey was already at Harry's side, Dumbledore knelt down beside her.  
  
"How is he?" Madam Pomfrey looked torn between anger and worry.  
  
Will Harry live? What will happen to Snape? Find out in the next chapter! 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
"He's got a few broken ribs, dislocated shoulder, possibly a concussion and broken ankle, thank god his back and neck are fine. He's bruised up pretty badly, maybe a broken jaw, but I don't think so. He really can't take this, not now, he's just barely recovered, he can't go on like this constantly. He's very tough, most people would be long dead or extremely weak and sickly, but he's too tough, and too loyal, to let himself die without a reason." She conjured up a stretcher and ran from the hall with Harry. Whispers broke out among the students, angry murmurs about Snape, and terrified whispers among the Gryffindors about Harry. Dumbledore turned to the assembled students.  
  
"Students it is late, please go back to your dormitory's, prefects?" The Prefects herded the students back to their dormitory's, the Gryffindors were the last to go. Professor McGonagal had to threaten them, as soon as the students were gone the Professors gathered and went to the staff lounge for a long talk.  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  
  
Harry groaned, oh how his ribs hurt! It was like fire in his side every time he drew a breath. He vaguely remembered what had happened, why had Snape turned on him? Oh, maybe because it looked like Harry had killed the headmaster? But Harry hadn't had time to really explain what would happen, had he waited any longer it wouldn't have worked. He tried to turn over onto his left side, but stabbing pain kept him still on his back, his side was heavily bandaged, as was his left ankle. His eyes slowly opened, Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagal were sitting in chairs beside him.  
  
"Harry, how are you doing?" Prof. McGonagal asked, she looked very worried, Harry thought then answered.  
  
"My side really hurts, and I have a headache." He stopped and slowed his breathing for a moment, this really hurt! Madam Pomfrey pulled out her wand and did a few tricky healing spells, most of the pain vanished, Harry relaxed a little, but it still hurt to breath.  
  
"You've got four broken ribs Harry, a broken ankle, a bad bang on your head and a broken collar bone. You've been out cold for nearly two days." Harry grimaced, oh goody, more injuries! He drank the water Madam Pomfrey brought, ignoring the sleeping powder in it, sleep sounded good right now. He drifted off, not hearing their worried talk.  
  
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  
  
Severus knelt shivering in the center of the meeting hall/ ampi-theater. Surrounding him in rows, seated on red velvet seats nearly reaching the high, domed, ornate ceiling, was the rest of the Order. It had been two days since the disastrous attacks on the headmaster, and his on Harry. Minerva had been right, the Phoenix had been enraged, as had the rest of the Order. They'd kept him here for the first twenty-four hours, their collective anger beating at him constantly, had been great, and very painful. He'd barely gotten to sleep when the news of Harry's exact condition had come in and the second session had started, now they were, he hoped, nearing the end of it. The first session all he'd been able to feel was their anger, and a pounding rage in the back of his mind which was the Phoenix, the second had been scorn, at his lack of faith in Harry. Not one of them doubted Harry in anything he did or said, but he, who owed Harry more then almost any of them, and had witnessed his loyalty first hand, he had turned on Harry without a reason or pause for thought or an explanation. Sudden silence brought his attention back to the crowd, in front of him on a raised balcony was the Order Council, Sirius at their head, they and everyone else were watching him. He thought quickly, then closed his eyes briefly and sent out an anguished plea for forgiveness, knowing that everyone would be able to hear it. There wasn't much need for talk in things like this, but their answer would be spoken, everyone would send their thoughts to Sirius. He was the only one who could hear all of them at once and sort their answers, and he would tell Severus of their decision. Finally Sirius stood, Severus held his breath, hoping. He had been partially under the imperious curse when he attacked Harry, so far no one but Harry had been able to completely throw off a imperious curse cast by Voldemort. But you could have told someone you were under it. I didn't know! It was obvious. I didn't know! He examined the stone floor as warring thought chased eachother through his mind. The Phoenix opened his mouth, then shut it abruptly, his eyes unfocused and blurred, a sure sign that he was contacting someone outside the Order or very far away. Severus's blood went cold, he was contacting Harry, asking his opinion, Harry might have died, there was no way he could ever forgive that attack. Sirius's eyes refocused and he took a breath, Severus waited in silence.  
  
"Harry forgives you Severus, and completely understands why you thought he had killed Albus. If he can forgive you then we have no right not too. Please make sure nothing similar happens in the future, dismissed." The Order began to vacate the meeting hall, Severus stayed where he was, shocked. How under the sun could Harry forgive him for nearly killing him without a reason? The fall must have knocked his brain about badly, no human could forgive something like that so easily! But Harry had, truly a remarkable person, everyone was gone but the Order Council, Sirius once again told him he was dismissed mentally, shakily Severus stood and left the hall.  
  
REVIEW! Next chapter coming soon, I promise! 


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you everyone who reviewed! Don't worry, Harry doesn't have anymore injuries coming up in this chapter. Please review! I need input!  
  
  
  
Chapter 8  
  
The second time he woke Harry stayed still until he was sure his ribs were healed enough before trying to move. Ron, Hermione, and Ira were seated near him. He gave them a small smile and tried to sit, Ira pushed him back down.  
  
"Uh uh, not yet, not until dinner." Harry rolled his eyes, but stayed still.  
  
"Harry, we all saw what happened, I swear even the Slytherins are ready to dissect Snape bit by bit. Your plan must have worked, two years ago they'd have been pleased, now they're all worried for you. Why didn't you duck or use a shield?" Ron asked, Harry smiled, his plan for befriending the Slytherins had worked, probably not of Malfoy's crowd though.  
  
I hadn't planned on being attacked. It's all right though, I can forgive him, he truly thought I had killed the headmaster. Not his fault, that's what it looked like." The three stared at him in shock.  
  
"Harry are you feeling okay?" Harry nodded and sat up before Ira could stop him. Professor's McGonagal and Dumbledore walked in.  
  
"Harry." Dumbledore sighed, seeing him sitting, Harry gave him a slightly nervous grin.  
  
"Hello Professors." Harry said, giving McGonagal a smile in response to her worried look.  
  
"Hello Harry, nice to see you up again. How's the ribs  
  
"A light ache, nothing more." He responded, " has quidditch practice started yet?" She nodded, grinning as his eyes lit up at the news.  
  
"Harry, Sirius tells me you forgave Severus completely." Dumbledore said, it wasn't really a question, but it wasn't a statement either.  
  
"He thought I had killed you, no fault of his, that's what it looks like when you electrocute someone." Harry shrugged and glanced apprehensively at the pile of books beside his bed. Ron saw his look.  
  
"Don't worry, you didn't miss much, Professor Trelwany's been asking if it's likely that you'll die, probably just to prove her most recent death prediction for you true." Harry rolled his eyes and Professor McGonagal frowned.  
  
"Her last one was death by drowning in and underground cave if you don't remember. And the one before that was being crispy fried by an erupting volcano and the one before that was being squashed into a pancake when a meteorite hit me. Do you suppose they'd name the crater after me or her?" He adjusted a bandage around his leg a little as they all laughed. "What have I missed?" Hermione handed him a sheet of paper with all their assignments on it and what they had covered in class.  
  
"If you already know it and can prove it you don't have to do the work." Professor McGonagal said, Harry put the paper aside.  
  
"Well then it looks like I won't be doing any of it."  
  
"Come on Harry, since when could you transfigure a tea cut into a penguin or a rock into a goblet? Or do the fire curse accurately? Or perform a perfect cleaning charm? Show me." Professor McGonagal said, pulling up a chair, Dumbledore did the same. Harry pulled out his wand. And turned to the teacup McGonagal handed him. A quick whish of the wand and it was a perfect emperor penguin, another flick and it was a rock and another and it was a beautifully decorative gold goblet. He then coated the entire wing with dirt and used a quick cleaning charm. Clensus. All the dirt was gone an everything in the room was cleaner then before. He then went back to the goblet and made it a bush.  
  
"Pyrocatem!" The bush glowed and vanished in less then a second, Harry winced. "I can't get the temperature right, it's so hot that whatever I aim at just vaporizes, the heat is centered too, the only thing affected is whatever I'm trying to burn. He conjured up another bush and tried again. "Pyrocatem!" This time the bush burned merrily and they could all feel the heat.  
  
"Amazing! If I recall correctly melting a rock with that spell is the best anyone has every done, looks like you've set a new record Harry! A heat so intense the object vaporizes." Dumbledore stared at where the first bush had been in wonder. Harry shifted uneasily. "I'll register this with the department for magical records. Don't get out of bed until dinner Harry, everyone we should leave so he can study." They all left, telling him they'd be back just before dinner. Harry picked up a book and started studying.  
  
**  
  
Harry was drawing, animating, and examining quidditch plays with real 2D figures and balls on a piece of parchment when the door clicked open. Harry didn't notice, he was too absorbed in what he was working on, recording various moves and plays for the first game to see Severus Snape come into the wing. Madam Pomfrey sniffed and went into her office but Harry didn't notice anything until Snape coughed. He jumped and turned to look in surprise.  
  
"Oh, hello professor." He said, he hadn't been looking forward to this conversation at all.  
  
"Hey…I'm not disturbing you am I?" Snape asked, he sounded worried, and unsure of what to say.  
  
"Nah, but, as I'm working on plays for the first quidditch game, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, it would probably be in Slytherins best interest if you did." Harry said with a grin, turning to Snape, leaving the players still moving about.  
  
"Harry…I'm sorry, I didn't know you were trying to save him." Snape spoke softly and didn't meet Harry's eyes.  
  
"But I'm sure it looked like I was trying to kill him. It all happened rather fast, if anything you should be commended for a fast response." Snape looked up in astonishment. "Don't worry about it, I'll be fine in no time." Snape stared at Harry as if he had just sprouted a tail.  
  
"Harry you could have died. I should have trusted you."  
  
"I should have put up a shield or stopped my fall, I was quiet capable of doing either though I was rather startled. You were under the imperious curse, else you would have trusted me, don't worry about it." Harry said firmly, noting Severus's start when he mentioned the curse, Sirius had told him about it recently. He turned back to the quidditch game to give Severus time to think the other stood to leave.  
  
"Harry." Harry turned and gave him a questioning look.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Thanks." Snape left, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. Harry thought for a moment, that was certainly the first un-hate filled conversation he'd ever had with Snape. Then he turned back to the quidditch players. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
1 Madam Pomfrey refused to let Harry out until the next morning. When Harry entered the great hall at breakfast there was a long silence, then conversation returned just as loud as before, Harry ignored the people standing up to look at him as he sat down at the Gryffindor table.  
  
"How do you feel?" Ron asked him, as the food appeared.  
  
"I think my back is still a bit bruised. Other than that I'm fine. What's our first class tomorrow?" Harry checked the teachers table, Snape looked unusually quiet and was concentrating on his food, Dumbledore was talking with professor Figg, but he gave Harry a long look, as if to make sure he was okay, thankfully Madam Pomfrey didn't usually eat with the rest of the school.  
  
"Ah, Defense. Professor Figg, we're doing defense against the rotting curse, whatever that is." Ron said, checking his schedule.  
  
**  
  
"Class, the rotting curse is a curse often used by dark wizards so you might want to pay attention. It rots your opponent from the inside out once it hits. The only way to get rid of it is to shoot another rotting curse right at it. However you must make sure not to hit your opponent, if possible. Using this curse on another human or any intelligent life form can easily earn you fifty years in Azkaban, even if it's not functioning there's enough residue from the dementors to keep it the same for a decade. Now the incantation is Rotarus, easy enough, but it takes a lot of power to perform. We'll start on the blocks of wood, then plants, and lastly scorpions." Professor Figg gave them some notes on the curse, when it was invented and by who, and how to perform it. Then they split into groups to try it.  
  
"Rotarus! Rotarus! Argh! I can't do it!" Ron complained, his block of wood looked exactly the same as it had before he used the spell. Hermione was doing a little better, she was atleast producing small beams of orange, but they weren't strong enough to reach the wood from her spot two feet away.  
  
Harry lifted his wand "Rotarus." He said simply and snapped the wand down to point at the wood, a beam of orange light hit it and before their eyes it rotted away to soil.  
  
"Ah! Class, Potter's got it! Good job Harry, ten points to Gryffindor, perfect, and your spell was strong enough to rot it all the way to soil, good!" Professor Figg said, turning everyone's attention to Harry.  
  
"When did you learn that?" Ron asked, as Hermione tried again and succeeded in making a small patch of rot appear on her wood.  
  
"Over the summer, you don't even have to concentrate really, just snap your wand down and will the object to rot, and say it firmly." Harry said, petting Tiger who was sitting on his lap. The cat had refused to be shut out of any of Harry's classes, at first the teachers threw him out, but by the end of class he always ended up inside. Eventually they just stopped trying, and, much to Harry's amusement occasionally petted the cat as they taught.  
  
"Rotarus!" Ron said firmly and snapped his wand down, slowly, very slowly, the wood began to rot. It stopped when it was only half gone, but Ron was ecstatic. "Rotarus!" Soon his former block of wood resembled Harry's, but Hermione just couldn't get it, finally near the end of class hers rotted away.  
  
"I've got to find time to practice that spell! It might be on the exams, I was the last one to get it work you know! Maybe I should go for extra help." Ron rolled his eyes.  
  
"Hermione it's just one spell, relax, Harry?" Harry nodded and they both ducked into the shadows, they leaned back against a painting "Marauders." Ron muttered, and they both fell through and into a secret passage, Hermione soon followed.  
  
"Okay, what are we doing today?" She asked them, Ron held out some fire works.  
  
"In the staff table's food." They followed the passage down tot he kitchens.  
  
"Hey Dobby, how are you?" Harry asked the house elf as Ron and Hermione set up the fireworks.  
  
"Harry Potter sir! Dobby is doing fine sir, how are you? Dobby heard you was injured sir." The house elf said, looking very worried.  
  
"I'm fine Dobby, just came to see you, good bye!" They left again, and hurried to lunch with everyone else, ducking back out of the passage and into the crowd so that the only one who saw was Neville.  
  
"Uh oh, what did you do this time?" He asked warily.  
  
"Just wait and see, nothing to terrible, just a few fireworks in the teachers food." Harry said, smiling like a cat with a canary. Neville shook his head and grinned, the truth was that the whole school enjoyed the Marauders pranks, so long as they weren't the receivers of it. 


	10. Chapter 10

1 AN: Okay people, big stuff happens here, if you don't like the thought of hundreds dying don't read, there's a reason this is titled World of War! Read and Review!  
  
2  
  
3  
  
4 Chapter 10  
  
Late in the evening on Thursday, during the week before Halloween (which was on Monday), Harry, Ron, and Hermione took a small table in a corner of the common room to do their work. Harry, sifting through some papers, found the Marauders Map, opening it behind a stack of books he scanned it, grinning, then his grin vanished. There, just outside the entrance hall a dot had appeared, a dot he liked not one bit, it was labeled Lucious Malfoy.  
  
"Oh no, guys look! He's here!" He said, showing them the map, then another dot appeared walking towards Malfoy, this one labeled Severus Snape.  
  
"Well, off we go again." Ron said, signing his homework and packing it away, Hermione followed suit, with quick efficiency they were done and out the portrait hole. On the steps Harry made them all invisible, keeping close watch with the map they hurried down tot he entrance hall. They pressed themselves along one wall to watch.  
  
Malfoy kept in the shadows, he lashed at Snape with his cloak and hurried to the door, the potions master followed, they went out the door and headed for the forest, not realizing they had three followers. They hurried into the forest and down a tiny path until they couldn't be seen from the castle.  
  
"Snape, what has happened?" he said in a quiet, rather sinister voice, an imitation of Voldemort, Snape gave him a disdainful look.  
  
"Nothing I would see fit to tell you, scum, only the Master needs to know."  
  
"And he has appointed me to tell him for you, you couldn't sneak out now, not with everyone suspicious of you. And I must say Snape, the Master is also suspicious, are you really with us? He knows he was wrong last year, that the Potter boy saved you only because he thought the Phoenix wanted it. That was the Phoenix's test for you, did Potter believe you were worth saving? We all know the Phoenix relies on that boy too much. What have you learned?"  
  
"If I must. Only that the Order animals have been moved into the Fortress, I went to the Fortress a few days ago, they were furious over my nearly killing Potter, wish he had died. It is big, an old meteor crater, they live in the hundreds of caves. I didn't see anything more. Potter is healing and getting better, Dumbledore isn't truly trusting me anymore, not after what happened, nor does Potter. Perhaps in a few weeks I'll be back in on things, the only Order animal in the area is a single War Unicorn being used in the Care of Magical Creatures class. Ex-Minister Fudge is trying to get back in power, and not succeeding. The Order believes that the Master plans to attack here in England, they don't have many agents posted over seas, a lot in Europe, but only a few in all of Asia. Twenty in South America for some reason, and ten are on vacation, I'm not sure where. Tell him I am truly sorry that I can't be at the meeting, and that I apologize for not having more useful information, now get going." He turned and walked back without looking to see if Malfoy had left. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood, waiting until Malfoy was gone, before heading back to the castle, they levitated up and through a window in the common room and went to their table before Harry removed the spell.  
  
"So he isn't so sorry, and he's back spying, or maybe he's with them for real." Ron said as soon as they were all visible.  
  
"Ron he's a spy! He has to lie to get away with it, I'm amazed Voldemort let him back, he doesn't have the Mark anymore remember? Over the summer Sarlan and I set up a fake, I cans till feel it when ever Voldemort calls from my scar, when it hurts, or when the Dark Power Stone glows, a tiny charm pinned to the inside of Snape's collar turns icy cold and he knows. Don't worry, he's on our side, it took a fancy bit of work to get Voldemort to let him back, the Order had to do all kinds of complicated spells and enchantments on him so Voldemort would trust him. Forget it, besides once you're in the Order you can not join the death eaters without the Phoenix knowing." Hermione nodded in agreement.  
  
The next morning the post came in, Harry took his paper from Hedwig and gave her an owl treat. Seeing the huge black lettering through the paper he wrinkled his nose, so what tragedy has befallen the wizarding world today I wonder? He opened his paper and sighed as nearly five hundred others gasped or gave tiny screams. Silence reigned in the hall as wide eyes read the story.  
  
World Wide Vampire Assosciation Joins the Dark Lord, Attack on Venice Leaves 300 Muggles and Magicfolk Dead or Wounded, and 150 New Vampires  
  
Last night at midnight death eaters, dementors, and vampires attacked Venice, Italy. Sinking buildings and slaughtering everyone they could find. People were stopped from fleeing by anti-apparition spells and magical barriers around the city. The Dark Lord's army worked from the city limits inward, killing everyone they came across, but letting those who fled towards the city center live. Terror reigned as the mobs of people reached the center, in which all buildings had been magically removed. There, he- who-must-not-be-named himself sat on a throne. His army kept the prisoners from fleeing as they cruelly murdered eighty of them. He then allowed the World Wide Vampire Association, 140 in all, to go throughout the crowd, draining the blood of any they chose. At that moment the Order of the Phoenix descended on them and the biggest battle of the decade ensued. Nearly four hundred dementors and two hundred and thirty two death eaters were killed, twenty-nine taken prisoner. Voldemort barely managed to escape with his life as the Phoenix himself attacked him. Eyewitness's report that Voldemort suffered major injuries and a large amount of horrible curses and enchantments while none of his followers escaped the Order's wrath unharmed. Unfortunately the toll on the Order was high, thirty-seven dead and over sixty injured, including the Phoenix, they also lost forty-one of the Order animals. Thank you order of the Phoenix.  
  
The story continued for two whole pages, Harry put it away to read later.  
  
"Harry how can you possibly be so calm? They attacked Venice!" Ron said as conversation started again, Harry didn't speak, he'd seen the entire attack through his dreams so he already knew, and besides, getting all upset wasn't going to help matters.  
  
"I'll have to see what the order is up too, thank goodness we have tomorrow afternoon off-" He stopped as he felt Sirius on the edge of his mind. Yes?  
  
Harry, I suppose you saw the attack? We need help, please come to the Fortress after breakfast, bring your Stone with you, and Lightning.  
  
All right, I'm on my way. Sirius was gone, Harry glanced up at the staff table, and Dumbledore met his eyes and tilted his head towards the door in silent permission. Harry leaned back into the shadows and willed them forwards as a candle flickered, in their darkness he went invisible and hurried out the door through the entrance hall and onto the grounds. Lightning came running to meet him, Harry placed a hand on the Unicorn's shoulder and called his lightning, with a soundless flash of light they vanished. 


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Okay people lets get some things straight. 1) If you haven't read Order of the Phoenix read it before this. 2) Sirius is the Phoenix and I did NOT say he was dead, if you'd read carefully I said that he was injured. 3) I don't write slash stories, (nor do I read them) so please don't ask for it. 4) Sirius being the Phoenix he can talk to people who are in the Order telepathically, Harry being his godson and very nearly one of the Order leaders he can talk to him too, though Harry isn't in the Order. 5) Harry is practically immune to poison, but not quite. Thank you all for reviewing!  
  
1 Chapter 11  
  
Harry appeared in the Fortress, half hidden in the shadows. Everyone was running everywhere, he hurried over to the Healers Hall. Inside people were lying on beds that lined the walls and green robed healers were hurrying about. Harry made his way through the mess until he found the head healer.  
  
"Looks like you need help." He commented, summoning a bag, which appeared in a small crackle of lightning. "Where do you need me?"  
  
The head healer Fiona gave him a grateful look and nodded to three beds near the back of the wing. Harry hurried over, recognizing the red head lying on the first one.  
  
"Did you get any of em?" He asked by way of greeting and smiled at Fred Weasely's astonished look. Harry opened the bag and pulled out his things and set them on the small table. Fred had what looked like a broken arm and a blast wound on his side while a burn across his head oozed blood.  
  
"Of course, I was with the team taking care of the dementors, we got attacked from behind. Where's George?" Harry set the leg and started some advanced healing spells on it before moving on to his side.  
  
"I think I saw him outside, helping to get those poor people into the other hospital and guest center. There looks to be about six hundred muggles, they'll all need to be healed to the point where they'll live, have their memories modified, and then sent back to Venice so that the muggle search parties can find them. George looks fine, exhausted and filthy, but fine." He finished stitching up Fred's side and placed some spells on it then took a look at his head. It was a nasty burn, reaching from ear to ear. Harry rubbed some anti-burn ointment on it, added a few herbs and some spells before using a sleep spell to send Fred off to sleep so everything could heal quicker.  
  
An hour later Harry went over to the emergency hospital where the muggles were housed. They were scattered everywhere, Order healers and fighters were everywhere trying to get organized. Harry sighed and pointed his wand at his head.  
  
"Telepanthus Order." He then concentrated on sending his message to those in the muggle's hospital. Everyone please stop what you're doing and listen for a moment. If we continue in this unorganized fashion many of them are going to die. Blue and Orange patrols, you put all of them to sleep and get them onto the beds and take a head count. Red patrol you pick out a third of them to be healed until no sign of injury besides scrapes and bruises remains mark those ones with a 1. Healers…" Harry went on, listing jobs and explaining his plan, soon the hospital was functioning again.  
  
Harry saw enough terrible injuries that day to last a lifetime, the muggles were worst off, when a witch or wizard gets hurt any spell a healer puts on them works even faster because of the magic present in the spelled person. The muggles didn't have that advantage, they were terrified and confused by these strange people waving sticks at them. All of them were put to sleep so the healers and memory modifiers could work undisturbed, but that process took hours. For many of the muggles the magic healing saved their lives. Harry devised a perfect plan for getting them back to Venice in a believable fashion. Out of the six hundred and seventy-two muggles about a third were healed until no sign of any injury remained. Then their memories modified so all they remembered was being one of the lucky few who survived a terrorist attack on Venice they were then sent back to Venice invisibly and put in locations around the city where they would be found. The others were healed to the point where they would survive and then sent back as well. It was a slow and tedious task. Harry organized different patrols to do each task including those like searching the city for death eaters to take prisoner, wands that had been dropped by either side, weapons, removing dementor and death eater bodies, erasing all signs of magic. Setting things up so that it looked like a dozen or so bombs had gone off and finding good location for the muggles to be put in around the city. The sun had been down for eight hours and it was one p.m. when Miranda came to get him, Harry was busy healing and reattaching a ten-year-old muggle boy's arm. She watched in silence until he was through and had washed the blood off his hands.  
  
"Come on Harry, Sirius is in the council chamber waiting for us." She said softly, Harry stood, and stretched. Suddenly his vision swam and he stumbled. Miranda caught him and pressed a hand to his forehead, he instantly felt a little better. "You've over worked yourself, magically and physically. I'll bet there isn't much left in that power stone, it's time to stop Harry. You've saved enough lives for now, let the healers do the rest. Harry nodded and put all his things away before following her across the Fortress, into the entrance cave and up a flight of stairs to a small room. There the council, all fifteen of them and another twenty Order member were waiting for them. Harry pulled his mind out of the fog it was drifting in and instantly came awake, the green eyes lit up with their inner fire and he walked around to a soft armchair next to the window.  
  
"Hey Harry, have you been here all day?" Aram asked, he looked exhausted, as the head of the Muggles division the last twenty-four hours had been a huge crisis. His department had decided on how long the muggles could be kept away from Venice before they suspected, what search methods they would use, what a bomb explosion would look like, where the muggles should be placed in the city, what should be put in their memories and a hundred other tasks.  
  
"He's been here since seven a.m., healing without a break all day and saved more lives then six of our healers could." Miranda said, giving Harry a hard look, he shrugged. It was then that he noticed that every single one of them had some injury that was bandaged up and had healing spells on them. Sirius had his left arm in a sling and a dozen different healing spells on him.  
  
"How many more muggles are left to return to the city?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Thirty, only those with the worst injuries, they'll be gone in a half hour." Harry replied.  
  
"Patrol status?" He asked, looking towards the patrol leaders.  
  
"Green's got seven injured, three dead."  
  
"Blue's got one dead and eight injured."  
  
"Red's got five dead ten injured."  
  
"Orange's got eighteen injured."  
  
"Yellow's got eight injured four dead."  
  
"Purple's got four dead, five injured."  
  
"Aqua's got one dead thirteen injured."  
  
"White's got three dead seven injured."  
  
"Black's got five dead, five injured."  
  
"Maroon's got two dead, ten injured."  
  
"Gray's got ten dead."  
  
"Trainees has one dead and five injured."  
  
Sirius sighed and shook his head, the Order was down quite a bit, but not as bad as Voldemort. But they hadn't had as many as he did to start with.  
  
"Alright, Yotrisk keep those trainees as trainees until you're sure they'll make it in patrols. We'll hold funerals with family, friends, and the full Order in four days at noon, in the order burial ground. Have all the reporters from all the papers there. Make sure they get a few good pictures of the order graveyard, make them see just how many have died over the years to keep them free and alive. Harry, head back to Hogwarts, there's no more you can do here. Find out what the mood is among the students, and I've got a package for Albus. Keep me informed if you find out anything, how are your spies?"  
  
"Doing fine, there's three of them who are at the death eater meeting that is going on as we speak, and has been since the attack. They'll be reporting back in two days. Voldemort is very harsh on his snakes, one of my spies was killed in the attack by accident, and three more since August, two of them died because Voldemort killed then when he was in a bad mood, and the other was killed by a demenotor. Those things do need food and if they catch any animals they'll take them too, they were getting hungry. But not after this attack. There's still twenty who are just waiting for a chance to go spy on him, and over a hundred offering to kill him if they can, suicide really." Harry stood and walked out of the room, teleporting out once he reached the center of the Fortress. 


	12. Chapter 12 As The Dark is Rising

AN:  
  
Anonomys: I have no intention of making all Slytherins evil and I happen to think Snape's cool.  
  
Honey: I'm not going to pair Harry up with anyone until seventh year, if then, though he may end up with Ira, never Hermione or Cho.  
  
Sorry I didn't update sooner everyone!  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Harry collapsed into bed, completely exhausted and worn out, his mind reeling from all the injuries he'd seen and from organizing the entire Order all day. How did Sirius manage? All too soon Ron was shaking him and telling him to wake up. Harry got up and memories of all the blood and guts he'd seen swirled in and sank in fully, he hurried to the bathroom and vomited.  
  
"Harry? What's wrong, and what happened yesterday?" Ron asked, Harry washed his mouth out and shook his head, they were going to be late for breakfast.  
  
On the way to breakfast they passed the bloody baron, Harry couldn't help comparing his injuries and bloodstains to some he'd seen the other day, and felt his stomach reel again.  
  
"Harry? You're really pale, are you okay? Where were you yesterday?" Hermione asked as they sat down, Harry raised an eyebrow a little, where had he been? That should have been obvious.  
  
"I'm okay, or I will be. I spent all yesterday up to my elbows in blood and guts helping heal people with the Order." He winced at the sight of the red juice, and his stomach lurched again. "My stomach's a little off, I'll be okay." Dumbledore gave Harry a look, clearly asking if he was okay, Harry pretended not to see. At that moment eight black owls flew into the hall, everyone went silent, watching where they would land with their bad news. One fluttered down next to Ira, no other Gryffindor got one.  
  
"Ira? What happened?" Parvarti asked as Ira started to cry.  
  
"My older b-brother, he's dead." She said between sobs.  
  
As they were heading to Defense class Snape came up beside Harry.  
  
"Harry, this is from the Phoenix." He handed Harry a piece of parchment with the Phoenix's seal on it, a red phoenix flying inside a circle of black with gold flames around the edges.  
  
"Thanks," Harry said absently, not noticing that Snape had addressed him by his first name, in Defense he sat in the back and opened it while the Professor was lecturing about destroying an enemy's wand.  
  
Harry,  
  
The healers have told me about yesterday, you did a great job getting them organized and working in an efficient manner thanks. Miranda says not to use too much magic for a while, you tired yourself out yesterday and got too little sleep. There's a full-Order meeting on Friday at three p.m. we're voting on and initiating eight new members from the trainee class. You know Oliver Wood? He's one of them and Victor Krum's another, they asked if you wanted to come, I think it's because they're nervous and need a friend around. And I need to talk to you afterward, there's going to be a full council meeting. Use the portkey if you're still not up to the Lightning Teleportation stuff you do.  
  
I have been thinking about the order's ranking process, it lacks stability, if you have any ideas on this please write them out for the meeting.  
  
PS. The Unusual Abilities Department wants to study your abilities sometime soon, to see what exactly you're capable of and if there're anymore you haven't discovered yet. But that can wait for a while, I know you probably wouldn't enjoy being their lab rat.  
  
Your Godfather,  
  
The Lord Phoenix  
  
Harry sighed and tucked the note away, the bell rang and Harry hurried back to Gryffindor tower and up to his rooms, leaving Hermione and Ron down in the common room. Once inside he sat down at the table in the main room and began to write out a plan that had begun to take shape in his mind.  
  
**  
  
On Friday Harry used a portkey to get to the Fortress. It was unusually quiet as everyone was gathering inside the meeting chamber for the initiations. Harry felt a light touch in his mind and Sirius's voice echoed through his head.  
  
Harry the initiations have been postponed, the meeting will occur now, please come to the council chamber He was gone, Harry hurried off to the council chamber, he was the first to arrive, then Sirius strode in.  
  
"Harry I have to ask, do you plan to join the Order of the Phoenix?" Harry blinked in surprise at the question.  
  
"That, Lord Phoenix, will depend on the circumstances, if I feel that hunting down the death eaters on my own would be better then I will not, if Voldemort is gone it might be disbanded, if Voldemort wins you don't have to worry about that question." Sirius looked surprised but resigned, and he chose a different line of questioning.  
  
"I have been thinking of redoing the way the Order works." He said tactfully, knowing full well that Harry probably had thought out a whole new system already, which he had.  
  
"Hmm, great minds must think alike, I already have a plan drawn out that I think you will like, no fine details yet, but the basics." He handed Sirius a folder with the new plans in it, Sirius skimmed the information, nodding, and handed it back. The rest of the council entered, bowing to Sirius and murmuring greetings, even Dumbledore was there. Sirius started off the meeting.  
  
"I have been thinking about redoing the functioning of the Order." There was a shocked silence. "Harry? Would you please show them the plans?" All eyes turned to Harry who opened the folder and took out copies of his plan for everyone.  
  
"As the Lord Phoenix," he gave a slight tilt of his head towards Sirius, "told me the order's ranking process needs some revisions. So does the coding system, everyone has their own code, specialty codes, patrol codes, rank codes, and hours are spent trying to remember which is which. With the system I have formulated it could all be kept reasonably straight. I'll start from the bottom and work my way up. Firstly are the trainees and part-time members. What I am proposing to do is to divide the entire order into two levels, the first level and the second level. In the second level are the trainees, and part-time members, in the first level are the full-time members. In the first level there would be different organizations, spies, healers, strategists, animal caretakers, and the crafts-wand making, weapon manufacturing, etc. In addition within each level there would be different levels of ability. For example: Level 2 Class 1 would mean a trainee who was nearly ready to  
enter the first level, or an exceptional part-time member. There would be five different classes in the second level and five in the first. Level 1 Class 1 would be basically all of you here, the leaders of the Order. This could be shone on identification cards as shone on the plans.  
  
Agent # Patrol color  
  
Level 1 Class 3 Healer of the second Sept. (Wizarding healers division is organized in six Septs of ability, Sept 1 being the best healers.) Or  
  
Agent # Patrol color  
  
Level 1 Class 2 Spy  
  
In order to rise up a class a person must have a 90% vote from the entire council, their patrol, and whatever division they work in, if they do. There would also have to be a limit to how many classes you could go up in one year. Training would last for exactly 400 days, just over a year. To making that process easier recruiting would be done only for a month in the winter and another month in the summer so that it will be easy to tell how long a person has been in training. If anyone fails the training they're memory is replaced and they are sent away not remembering anything more then that they didn't make it, if that. With this system each person would have an ID and they'd have to memorize the information on it. To keep death eaters from using stolen IDs to get into the Fortress the ID would have to be memorized and never taken outside the Fortress. When a person dies their ID would disintegrate into nothing immediately." He stopped and waited for five minutes while  
everyone read through the packet of information he'd given them. Finally they had finished.  
  
"I agree with this plan, we could try it out for a few months, it doesn't dissolve the patrols so there'd be no real changes. But we need to work on some details like what each rank's privileges are." Sirius said, Harry mentally kicked himself for not having thought of that.  
  
"Punishments could be a denoting of rank, or being thrown out of the Order. While special achievements that didn't quiet merit a higher rank could be rewarded in the form of awards. Certain projects and parts of the Fortress would be available only to those with a high enough rank. Those in the first level would have better accommodations, and the higher ranks would allow for a slight upgrade." Miranda said, she was working with a pencil on a piece of parchment as she spoke when she was done she looked up. "People can't be expected to know everyone's rank by heart, so we'd need some kind of mark that would sow rank. And a new uniform has been in debate for months, let's kill to birds with one stone and combine the problems." She tossed her drawing into the center of the table. " The new uniform would be white pants and long sleeved shirt under an open, vivid green, hooded robe. (AN: just imagine the things the Jedi from star wars wear, in green.) Black leather boots, but  
they must be flexible so as not to restrict ankle rotation during a fight, gold buckles, a gold Phoenix on the back of the robes and gold embroidery. Black belt, gold buckle, black sword sheath with a gold phoenix on it. Swords and knives would be a regulation standard with black leather wrapped hilt, gold crosspiece and emerald pommel with a gold phoenix on it. Everyone would have a pin, a gold phoenix surrounded by a circle of flames. The flame color would show what patrol they were and their agent number would be in gold lettering below it. Class would be shone by the number of gold rings around the cuffs of their robes and shirts. Level two has silver rings, level one has gold. The white pants and shirt must be loose and flexible to make fighting easier, in a fight the green robes could be taken off to allow for easier movement." There were nods all around, "when no one must know who they are the green robes could be changed to buckskin brown with no markings, except for  
a phoenix badge on the inside of each sleeve." Miranda was a good artist and her design was ideal.  
  
"All in favor of the new plans and uniform say aye." Sirius said, it was unanimous, though Harry didn't vote, he wasn't part of the Order. "Now when should we start this?" Sirius asked. Harry spoke up.  
  
"We could announce it and explain it today after the initiations. If there were enough people working on them the new uniform could be ready by tomorrow evening along with IDs. Copies of this," Harry waved the plans, "could be placed somewhere so everyone can read them if they don't understand." There were nods of agreement.  
  
"Well then, we should probably go, the initiations will be starting in a few minutes." They all rose and followed Sirius from the room. Harry stopped briefly to say hi to Flame the Dire Wolf, who was back from Norway.  
  
Harry hurried in with the last group, Sirius beckoned him up to an empty seat in the rows of gray seats where the council and patrol leaders sat.  
  
Since the order's reinstatement many new recruits had joined, but Harry hadn't gotten the chance to witness any besides the original. He examined the room as all the lights except for one shining down on the elevated balcony rows where he and the other sat on their gray seats, a light that shone on the eight new members stood, concealing their nervousness well, but now well enough. Then, on the circle of gold flames on the floor, the statue Harry had seen at the order's reinstatement appeared on the table cover with the flag, the empty space on the table held eight blue balls of light. It looked exactly like it had the last tie Harry had seen it over a year ago. The light on Harry and the others dimmed a bit and the Phoenix rose, glowing with his own light.  
  
"Trainees you have progressed far since you first decided to enter the Order training. It is the decision of the council and I that you are now ready to finally truly join with the Order. If you have changed your mind and do not wish to join this is your last chance to leave." Not one of the trainees moved, Harry could see all their eyes, slowly moving from the Phoenix to the statue and back. He noticed Oliver and Victor, and locked eyes with both of them, giving them a tiny encouraging smile, they relaxed a little and looked more confident. Sirius raised both arms and the circle of gold flames imbedded into the stone floor became real flames, leaping to knee height, he continued.  
  
"When your name is called enter the circle and place your hands in the handholds on the statue's base, do not remove them until the initiation is finished. If you do the flames will kill you, if the statue finds you unacceptable it will remove all memories of your training and you'll be sent home, or, if you have any inclination of betraying us, it will kill you." No one said a word, but the sense of fear Harry could feel from the trainees increased, Mirada rose and Sirius sat back down.  
  
"Oliver Wood." Harry watched as the former keeper stepped into the flames and placed his hands on the golden ones. Like the phoenix in the crystal globe took flight, Miranda went on speaking. "When it is over you will have no finger prints, no specific blood type, no readable brainwaves, no records of what your magic code is will exist except for those on the Order record, you are sworn to defend wizards and muggles alike from the dark forces. You will work with your patrol, and live in the Fortress, you will go where we tell you, and do what we tell you too. Contact with everyone outside the Order will be severed completely whenever you take on a mission, disobedience will be punished, remember, you cannot leave the Order unless it is disbanded for the next five years at which point you will be given a choice. Welcome, Oliver Wood, to the order of the Phoenix." The Phoenix in the crystal globe stopped its song, the flames dipped lower, Oliver took one of the blue balls of  
light and put it behind his right ear. Harry could feel currents of thought-talk ripple around the room as the Phoenix welcomed Oliver in his own telepathic way. Oliver went to sit on a row of benches right in the front, after this meeting he would be assigned to a patrol.  
  
The same process was repeated for the other seven, when it was done there was wild applause, Harry took this opportunity to congratulate his friends with a full smile. His powers were no longer strong enough for him to speak to them telepathically.  
  
The Phoenix began to explain the new plans, Harry didn't pay much attention to him, and many people cast looks at him. Harry's place in the Order was in no way solid, and none of the members truly knew just where he stood at any given time, but they did know that it was much higher then the average member, much higher.  
  
Harry got back to school late that evening, he was very tired. After the meeting he'd stayed to help arrange the new portkeys. The Order had over three hundred and each was labeled, a few weeks ago Harry had decided to organize them better then just throwing all of them in a box. He made special room in which all the portkeys were stacked in labeled shelves and a register told who was using which one for how long, that process had taken three hours and it was now midnight. He put his things away and lay down, and was asleep immediately. 


	13. Chapter 13 The Mind Reader

Thanx all for reviewing! Sorry this took so long.  
  
Chapter 13 The Mind Reader  
  
After the attack on Venice Order agents were permanently stationed at Hogwarts. The uniform change went by smoothly, and now emerald-robed figures could be seen striding warily along the halls or stationed at the front doors. After Venice the death eaters stopped large scale attacks, preferring to "pick off wizards one by one and muggles by the dozen," Sarlan, the Spy Master had put it with a weary sigh. Every two days or so news of another attack came in, three wizards here, fifteen muggles there, another wizard here, eight muggles there. The Order was run ragged dealing with it all. Harry did his best to help, an occasional dream now and then, or maybe a vision, though those were few and far between. It was he who figured out the best points to be used as stations by the Order agents so that the entire castle was covered, and it was he who got them all maps of the entire castle and all the hidden chambers and passages so that they could use them in a battle. And then the  
Minister started brewing trouble.  
  
It started when the school governors lost it and tried to get rid of Dumbledore, hardly a wise move, seeing as how it brought on the wrath of all the students, their parents, a very powerful and respected wizard, and the Order of the Phoenix. Harry personally thought that this was just as if not more ludicrous then their removing Dumbledore when the Chamber of Secrets had been opened, but he knew, as did everyone, that Lucious Malfoy had probably threatened the governors again. They claimed the Order was recruiting students from Hogwarts, students whose only purpose to the Order was as sacrifices to bizarre gods or were being made to feel powerful, then thrown at "the terrorist impersonating he-who-must-not-be-named" to die to gain time for the Order's plots to overthrow the Ministry. This caused uproar, the wizarding world was neatly divided, ith Dumbledore and the Order, with the Minister. And the students and wizards and witches everywhere who were thinking about joining  
the Order sent the Minister seven and a half pounds of hate mail, according to the Daily Prophet. But Cornilius Fudge still had power, he still had the Ministry and many others, and he could use it. He fought with everything he had, still denying Voldemort's return to the point that he accused the Order of the Phoenix of being corrupt and of attacking Venice themselves. So as to kill off members of their Order who were insubordinate to a convict ruler, or refused to believe Voldemort's return, or actually thought they were fighting Voldemort. He openly stated that Sirius's trial had been had under "corrupt" conditions, Harry, who joined the Order council for about half of their meetings, knew that the Patrol Leaders had each sent the Minister a howler, each delivered by a Hippogriff. The Minister just got worse, he accused them of being in league with the "terrorists", of being fanatics, worshipers of gods who demanded muggle and wizard sacrifices, of trying to resurrect  
Voldemort for their own wicked ends, and with the support of a few reporters to write convincing articles (he was grossly overpaying them) he won some support.  
  
In addition Harry was having trouble. He was starting to hear things. After weeks of answering questions in class before they had been asked he finally figured it out. When Ron and he were playing chess he heard Ron say "queen to D2," he had therefore countered with a move.  
  
"Hey I'm not done yet! I didn't take my move!" Ron said, startled Harry blinked at him.  
  
"You just said queen to D2!" Ron gasped in shock.  
  
"No, I never said it, out loud... I was thinking it, did you read my mind?" Hermione broke in.  
  
"That's not possible Ron! There haven't been any mind readers since Merlin, Ambrosius, and Godric Gryffindor, there aren't any more." Harry felt like he'd been slapped in the face. *My ancestors were mind readers, and I am? Shit.*  
  
"Hermione? Those were all ancestors of mine! What if I am a mind reader? I don't want to read people's minds!" He gasped out, horrified at the thought.  
  
"Lets take this chat upstairs folks." Ron said cautiously, they all hurried upstairs and into Harry's secret rooms. There Hermione and Ron sat on one side of the table and Harry on the other.  
  
"Harry I'm going to think of a number, Ron of a color, tell us what those are." Hermione said, Harry nodded. It was as though he could see inside their minds, and every thought floated in his, the thoughts came fast, they just jumped into his mind and he knew them instantly.  
  
"Twelve blue. Thirteen magenta. Eighty green. Zero Orange. Fifty pink. Forty three pink." There was a silence, Ron was gaping at him and Hermione looked very excited.  
  
"Oh, this is great Harry! You-  
  
"I should tell Sirius." Harry finished for her, "neither of you has to say a word anymore, yes Ron, you were thinking that. I can hear it all, but I can't stop hearing it, even if I want to I'll still hear your thoughts. Isn't there a spell to block off your minds? This could be very annoying, people think constantly." There was a long pause, Harry analyzed all of his friends thoughts, why had this ability started now? It was cool, but might drive him mad.  
  
Eventually Hermione suggested, out loud for Ron, that they try the library. Since it was still open they hurried off.  
  
After three hours of searching, with Harry reading the minds of every person around him they found it. A book written by Ambrosius's second cousin about mind reading. Harry was earning to divide his attention, he could concentrate on the spoken world and barely hear others thoughts, but they were still there, and if it was quiet, if no one was talking anywhere, he started hearing thoughts. Following guidelines in the book he learned to distinguish between thought a word of mouth. By the time the weekend was over he'd mastered the art. But he still hadn't told anyone besides Ron and Hermione, and Ira. Then the Phoenix returned to Hogwarts for a while to be closer to the wizarding world and Harry was faced with the decision, tell Sirius or not? After weighing each side he decided to tell, he didn't want to hear everyone's thoughts during a council meeting, but how would they react? Sure this ability could be very useful to the Order, but Harry wasn't and Order member, would  
they be horrified at the idea of him reading their minds?  
  
"Of course not Harry, they trust you, it'll be fine, quit worrying so much." Ron said when Harry voiced this thought, Hermione and Ira agreed so Harry calmed down and waited for the Phoenix to call.  
  
**  
  
It was just after dinner on Wednesday when Sirius called the Order to a meeting. Harry arrived right on time and found his seat, it had his name on it in small letters. Sirius and he were the only ones there for a few moments.  
  
"Phoenix?" Sirius looked up, "recently I discovered that I can read minds." Sirius's eyes opened wide with shock. "As my powers seem to have finally settled down I can only assume I will always be able too. Do you think the Order, or atleast the Council, should be taught to block their minds from me?" Sirius thought on it for a moment.  
  
"Yes, I'll tell the Council, then how about you explain how to block you, I'll tell the Order via telepathy. Is it hard to block a mind reader?"  
  
"No, it may take two tries, but it's not that difficult." Sirius nodded and the Council trooped in, each giving him a small bow.  
  
"First, I'd like to start this meeting with an announcement. Harry here recently informed me that he can read minds, because being a mind reader means that it is impossible to block out people's thoughts on your own all of us here should learn how to block him. Harry?" Harry nodded and began, amused by the shock they were all experiencing.  
  
"To block a mind reader you don't even need a wand, just think to yourself, strongly so that no part of your mind escapes it, Blockarius, I'll tell you if I cans till hear your thoughts, it may take more then one try." He turned to Remus next to him and listened closely.  
  
Blockarius. I hope this works. Abruptly Harry saw a sunset, and boy walking about as the full moon rose, then a werewolf leaping the fence and attacking the child, the wolf was beaten off by the boy's father and mother, but a bite mark showed on his ankle. Harry blinked and tucked it away for later. Did it work? He clearly heard Remus think.  
  
"No Remus, it didn't, try again." Remus gave a start, then tried again, this time it worked. Harry looked to each person in turn, eventually they all got it, Sarlan had to try five times. Again Harry got visions, from Sirius one of being taken to Azkaban, from Severus one of being tortured by Voldemort for failing to kill some wizard or other. From Miranda one of a huge asteroid hurtling towards earth, and her powers being the only thing that stopped it, Harry got the impression that she had once been nearly as powerful as he, before she had nearly burned herself out by deflecting that asteroid and fighting off a dark wizard all at once. He didn't say anything about his visions to them, not yet.  
  
It was arranged for professor Figg to teach the mind-blocking spell in her Defense classes, so that hopefully most of the student's minds would be inaccessible to Harry. But Harry had read the entire book on mind reading, and he learned that if he put "hooks" into a person's mind then the mind blocking spell didn't work right, he could still hear their thoughts whenever he wanted to. He sued this ability, without informing anyone, to make sure that he would be able to find out if any students joined Voldemort.  
  
Between quidditch, training, homework, and his work with the Order Harry had no time at all to relax, he was always busy and always fell asleep at night exhausted. He was only too happy for a break in the routine when the first quidditch match came about, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin.  
  
**  
  
"And they're off! Alicia of Gryffindor's got the quaffle, she's heading up the field, ooh that had to hurt! Clobbered by Warrington of Slytherin, and it's a penalty shot for Gryffindor, Katie scores! 10-0 Gryffindor! Slytherins have the quaffle, they're heading up the field, ducks a Bludger hit by Fred, or is that George? Anyhow is hit by a second Bludger courtesy of a nice bit of broom-tail hitting by Potter, I swear that kid can play ANY position! Drops the quaffle, its caught by Angelina and she's off! Whoa! That was some triple loop by Angelina, passes to Katie, passes to Alicia, and ducks the Bludger and scores! 20-0 Gryffindor!" Ron shouted from the box, where he had taken over from Lee who had a sore throat, commentating. Harry did a few twirls and loops, a Bludger headed his way, he bounced it to George who bashed it at the Slytherin keeper, making him miss the shot, "and it's 30-0 Gryffindor!" Harry shot off in search of the snitch, Malfoy was flying around the  
Slytherin goal, berating their keeper angrily. Harry flew high up over the field and watched for that elusive glimmer of gold. Slytherin was playing rough, the three chasers and a beater came down at Katie, Harry dove, they scattered as he shot past, then they came back, but Katie didn't have the quaffle. Harry had hit the quaffle to Angelina who went streaking up the field. The second beater came in and whacked her hard with his club, she tossed the quaffle to Alicia and fell off her broom. Katie and Harry swooped in and caught her and got her back to her broom. Harry applied a quick wandless healing spell to the side of her head as Angelina scored, and then also scored the penalty shot. 50-0 Gryffindor!  
  
The came got dirtier and dirtier, Malfoy rammed Ira and slammed her into a goal post, the Slytherins scored but the Gryffindors got the penalty. Harry dove for the snitch and was hit by the clubs of both beaters, he flicked his broom tail and twisted about, the scratchy twigs, turned sharp by a wandless spell, scratched them both up. He flew off, racked with pain from his side. His ribs were probably broken, but the snitch had gone. Harry applied a wandless healing charm and flew on, ignoring the pain he felt whenever he took a breath. Gryffindor scored the penalty shot. Malfoy and two chasers attacked Katie, slamming her into the stands, Gryffindor got two penalty shots, but Katie was badly hurt and sent to the hospital wing. Harry whacked a Bludger at Malfoy and winded him. Angelina scored again, 90-10 Gryffindor.  
  
The game continued, Harry and Malfoy were flying side by side, straight at the stands, harry saw the snitch, it was flitting about behind the last row of teachers. He rose up a bit, and slapped Malfoy's broom with his, Malfoy did an arch and went shooting off, Harry dove, swooped down behind the teachers and grabbed the snitch!  
  
"Gryffindor wins! 240-10 Gryffindor!" Ron yelled, Harry landed holding the snitch up high as red robed fans came streaming onto the pitch.  
  
The part lasted all night long, it was a spectacular defeat. Harry dropped into bed, exhausted but very happy. 


	14. Chapter 14 The Hunt

Chapter 14 The Hunt  
  
With Halloween coming the prefects were very busy organizing the party. The staff and prefects were once again getting a little desperate to find anything to release the tension among the students. The death eaters, now attacking at least once a week, were a constant cause for worry. Every student was terrified of seeing a black owl come soaring into the hall to land before them. So far twenty-one students had lost family members in or since the Venice attack.  
  
"How many here have brooms? Good, you'll work on the bats and the ceiling. The rest of us will work on everything we can reach." Professor McGonagal said, standing in front of the prefects holding a list they had made of what needed to be done. In view of the recent killings the prefects had agreed to try and make Halloween fun, not spooky. The Weasely twins, now in their seventh year, had teamed up with Morgan and Ira to do a comedy muggle- magic show. Hermione and Ron were carving pumpkins while Harry and the other prefects who had brooms drifted about near the ceiling decorating and conjuring bats. When it was finally done Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ira, Fred, and George met in a secret chamber to plan some Halloween pranks.  
  
**  
  
On the day before Halloween Ira and Ron enchanted black balloons filled with orange goo to drop from the great hall's ceiling during meals. Filch opened one of his closets only to have a swarm of bats fly out. The staff room was found filled with black cats, the headmaster found his office re- colored entirely in orange and black. The potions dungeon was painted orange, making it look much nicer, to Snape's dismay. The Hufflepuff dormitory's walls were black and strobe-light spells gave them all headaches after a few hours. The Ravenclaws found their dorms also black, and the torches burned with black fire, making anything white glow. The Slytherin dorms were orange with black polka dots, Mrs. Norris was found hiding in an empty classroom-painted orange. Someone put freaky masks on every picture in the castle, and door handles to classrooms were covered in what appeared to be black slime. Harry put a spell on Prof. Terlwany's crystal orbs so that they all looked like human brains, orange ones. The ghosts went about cracking Halloween jokes and laughing uproariously, and the staircases never stayed in the same position for more then two minutes so it was hard to get to class on time.  
  
That night the Halloween feast was splendid, even the six Order Agents stationed around couldn't dissipate the high spirits of everyone. Harry brought Tiger to the celebrations and the silver tabby had a great time hunting bats and snatching stray mice that fell from the crackers and other party treats. And then of course there were the students who would always slip him bits of choice food under the table. It was a nice warm night out so the party was held outside, much to the prefect's dismay. The order guard was doubled, they walked around the grounds, watching everything warily.  
  
"We spent all that time of the great hall decorating! And now it isn't being used???" Ron was outraged.  
  
"There was supposed to be a big storm tonight." Ira commented, giving Harry a long look.  
  
"Hmm, wonder where it went?" He asked innocently. They all grinned and shook their heads.  
  
The party was going full swing when screams alerted Harry to a problem. Boom! The ground shook and blue light flared.  
  
"Everyone inside the castle! NOW!" Dumbledore's voice boomed out. Harry ducked into the shadows as the students ran by. The Order agents were fighting with a small crowd of death eaters near the forest. He saw five break away, or was that three dragging a two? No one appeared to notice them, Harry ran forwards, yes, they had two students, stunned, and were trying to get beyond the apparition wards.  
  
"Rahimvar Stupefy!" The first curse hit one of the death eaters, his screams filled the air as it ripped off his skin where it hit. The second missed. "Freezius!" It hit, breaking through a hastily erected shield, Harry flung lightning across the grounds at the figures, now one of them had a frozen leg. He combined a body bind and another skinning curse into a lightning bolt and threw it. He couldn't tell if it hit, yes it had, they were going much slower anyway. The ground rolled in waves, Harry tripped, suddenly three curses flaying at him. The fifty or so death eaters near the order agents were trying to cover their companion's retreat with the prisoners. Harry turned all three around on the death eaters, the mass spread out and all attacked at once. Spells were flying everywhere, to his left and order agent fell, wounded, then another forty or so came running up from the castle. Harry looked around, where had they gone? Then he was distracted again as a death eater attacked him.  
  
Ten minutes later all the students were inside the great hall and the battle was over. Three order agents were in the hospital wing, one was dead. Harry found the headmaster among the prefects and teachers.  
  
"Sir, just as the battle started three death eaters ran away with two students. I did not have a chance to get to them but they headed into the forest. With the apparition wards now extended so far, they are injured and two stunned students they couldn't get too far, they're probably still in there." This was greeted by a few gasps from the others. "Permission to hunt them down?" Harry asked.  
  
"Go ahead, take Lightning, and Flame with you. The Broom Brigade will be sweeping the forest soon, but they're battling with some Mesmerd attacking Hong Kong." Harry ran from the hall.  
  
Lightning, Flame, it's up to us. The Dire Wolf and War Unicorn met him just outside, Harry leaped up onto Lightning's back. Let's go They took off, Harry guided Lightning to the point where the death eaters had been with his knees, there Flame began to sniff, trying to catch their scent. Harry too sniffed deeply, and found that he could smell the trail just as well as Flame, *must come from being a royal Aaron. * He thought, Flame took off, Lightning racing along behind him.  
  
Harry ducked a branch and leaned into a tight turn with Lightning, up ahead Flame's bushy tail could just be seen, flying between the trees.  
  
Harry? The evil ones are just ahead Flame announced, Lightning leaped forward all the faster. Harry pulled out his sword.  
  
They burst into the clearing, Harry leaned over and swung as they went shooting by the death eaters and their prisoners, his swipe took off the hand of one of the death eaters, a shrill scream rang out. Lightning whirled, hooves flailing, there was a snarl and a scream, Flame was tearing at a man on the ground, the same one whose hand had been removed, finally he tore out his throat, but the others were gone. Flame plunged into the trees, Harry and Lightning followed.  
  
**  
  
Midnight found them still hot on the trail, the forest was so dense that they had to walk, Harry and Flame up ahead, Lightning guarding the rear. Harry followed the trail with his nose, his face and arms were scratched from twigs and thorns, and they hadn't caught a glimpse of their quarry since they had seen them about a mile ahead and hour back. They were all getting tired, Harry tried and tried to find any direct path or pattern to the death eaters flight. So far they had gone reasonably straight, heading directly through the forest. He raised his head and sniffed the wind, the scent of blood came to him, from their injured prey, it was coming from the east. Flame started to run, Harry and Lightning followed.  
  
Now Harry was glad of the hours and hours he spent running, he was in perfect shape and could keep up with his animal friends reasonably well.  
  
**  
  
Just after dawn Harry, Flame, and Lightning left the trail and went right, the death eaters made a half loop and they gained time be going straight, now the scent was very fresh, and distance closing rapidly. Harry glanced around, where were they heading? The he saw a small ravine up ahead. Of course, the death eaters knew that they were being followed, knew that their tracker was in better shape and was actually following the trail through the dense forest faster then they could run away. They knew that the fight must come, with ten mils to the end of the apparition wards they were finally being brought to bay, and they were trying to find a spot to fight, which might give them the advantage. Flame whined, he sensed their tried quarry and was eager to fight and kill, Lightning began to speed up. We must not let them set a trap he cautioned, harry broke into a faster run.  
  
They circled the ravine and came in from the west side, the ravine was a half-mile in length, and thirty feet wide. It's entrance faced south and where it ended in a steep cliff was north. Harry lay on his belly and dragged himself close to the edge. Down below the death eaters were resting. The prisoners were tied and stunned in a crevice between some rocks.  
  
Get ready to fight, I'll blind them and then we attack. Harry sent to his friends. He flicked his wand.  
  
"Pyrocatem." He whispered, sweeping it wide and sending magic to every corner of the ravine. The ravine walls, though rock, were not immune to extremely hot fires, no rock is. They lit up as the grass and brush on them burned and the rock itself melted and burned. The only safe place was where the prisoners were. Screams echoed out as the three death eaters threw hands in front of faces to block the scorching light. Harry leaped over the edge and landed ten feet below. "Stupefy! Petrificus Totalus! Freezius! Rahimvar! Grakizan!"  
  
"Avada Kedavra!"  
  
"Crucio!"  
  
"Help!"  
  
Harry nearly laughed, now one death eater was badly burnt and skinned and all over from the knees down. Another was frozen solid and one was stunned with a broken shoulder from a powerful kick of Lightning's. He knelt beside the prisoners. Sam and a second year Hufflepuff, named Claudine.  
  
"Enervate Enervate." They both woke as Harry removed the ropes.  
  
"Oh my god! What happened? Where are we? Harry?" Sam asked, jumped up and looking around. Claudine curled up a little, Harry could now see that her left leg was broken.  
  
"You were kidnapped by death eaters, Flame, Lightning, I tracked them and you down. Come on, we have to get back to Hogwarts. Here," he put healing spells on Claudine's leg and set it correctly, he gave her a spell to numb the pain and levitated her up onto Lightning's back. "Mobilocorpus!" The three death eaters floated up alongside, Harry didn't have the energy to transport them the whole way back, but he did his best, in a crash of lightning they were gone.  
  
**  
  
They finally got back at 8:35 a.m. Everyone was waiting in the great hall, the Order of the Phoenix agents met them at the forest edge and took Claudine to the hospital wing. Sam and Harry went on inside.  
  
There was a round of huge cheers as the entered, Sam waved and smiled, Harry nodded sharply and went over to his seat and sat down, he was completely exhausted.  
  
Harry? Where on earth were you? The Order's been out all night searching the forest. Nothing could have escaped them.  
  
We were ten miles from where the apparition wards ended, in a ravine, fighting. Actually I'm not sure if the wards extend that far, we were way off to the east.  
  
The wards don't go very far that way, where was it? Harry gave Sirius a mental image of the ravine and landscape, including the mountain not far away.  
  
You were there? That's thirty miles beyond the wards!  
  
Stupid death eaters. Harry sent back, Sirius agreed and left the hall to go see to the death eaters who would be placed in the new jail being built on Azkaban, without dementor's. 


	15. Chapter 15 Ahhh Pranks to Play at Last

Thanks all for reviewing! I love reading reviews and I check them daily, it's so much fun! Next chapter might be a few days in coming, you know, school and everything.  
  
  
  
Chapter 15 Ahhh Pranks to Play at Last!  
  
The days passed quietly, there was no sign of Voldemort anywhere. Not a single killing since the Halloween attack. Hogwarts was returning to "normal", and that meant that the Marauders had a BIG job on their hands. And to top it all off the Midyear dance was coming in two weeks.  
  
This year Harry didn't have any trouble finding a partner, Ron was going with Hermione and he was going with Ira, done, no big fuss. Now the hard part, pranks.  
  
The prefects weren't allowed to decorate for this dance; the teachers were doing it all. Harry met Ira at the stairs, neither had put hours and hours of effort into getting dressed up, they weren't planning to stay at the dance. The four agreed on eye catching muggle outfits to wear, something that would attract plenty of attention to the Marauders. Harry and Ron wore black T-shirts, and western style black leather jackets with silver and gold embroidery, the jackets had a black fringe running along the sleeves and down in a V from the shoulders to center, each individual string had a gold and silver bead at the top, each t-shirt had the word Marauders on it and arms, one reaching in form each corner to a pile in the center, all in silver and gold. They also wore long straight black pants with a black fringe down the side, these fringes also each had a silver and gold bead, along with a gold and silver belt and black dragon-hide boots with gold and silver buckles. They were quite pleased with the design. Hermione and Ira wore the same type of jacket over a sleeveless shirt, they wore long black leather leggings and medium black skirts with small slits in the sides, all decorated with the Marauders symbol and silver and gold. It WAS very noticeable attire and attracted a lot of weird looks.  
  
Harry and Ira went to the dance, and stayed for an hour, after which they quietly slipped away. Ron and Hermione were still dancing. They split up, Ira went back to Gryffindor to get some things while Harry hurried to Ravenclaw. He paused outside the Ravenclaw dorms, someone was coming, to Harry's astonishment Draco Malfoy came down the corridor, carrying some dung bombs. They stopped and stared at each other for a minute, and then Harry smiled laughed.  
  
"Great minds think alike! Were you too planning to pull off a few pranks while everyone was at the ball?" He asked.  
  
There was no reason for him to expect any response other then a typical Draco Malfoy one, but something in his manner and the whole idea of them having the exact same thought about what to do during the ball made him give a civil reply, and a small smile.  
  
"Yeah." Harry was astonished, but didn't let it show.  
  
"Do you reckon there's anyone in there?" He asked.  
  
"Dunno, except for the 1-3rd years no one should be, exce-"  
  
"Shh," Harry glanced back along the corridor, someone was coming, an Order patrol. "Play along," he murmured to Malfoy and knelt, untied his shoe and tangled the laces around a gold and silver buckle, and proceeded to very slowly untangle and retie it. Remus and another member of the Copper Patrol Harry recognized as Pam came around the corner. Pam's gaze ran over them and on, Remus slowed in stride and watched the two carefully to make sure they weren't fighting. Harry saw his gaze lift to the tapestry and he seemed to hesitate, Harry caught his eyes and flicked his eyes back at the tapestry and gave Remus a meaningful look. As he began to tie the laces of his boot he made a quick gesture to the Marauders symbol on his shirt, Remus go the idea and hurried off.  
  
"That was close." Malfoy whispered softly when they were far enough away.  
  
"Huh, say how about we join forces, mess up Hufflepuff then head to Ravenclaw and get them? And then maybe a little prank in the staff room?" Harry asked. Malfoy considered for a moment.  
  
"Well, okay, there'd better not be anyone in their common room," he turned to the tapestry.  
  
"Transparatio!" Harry said, flicking his wand at a tapestry. It became see- through. The Hufflepuff common room in black and yellow, there didn't seem to be a single living person. "Helga." Harry said, a hole opened in the tapestry and they climbed through. "What were you planning to do?" Harry asked.  
  
"Put dung bombs in the furniture." Draco replied, glancing at Harry.  
  
"Alright, I'll set up glue to drip from the ceiling, you know the kind that hardens the second it touches something." Harry said, and they went to work.  
  
"How about we time it to drop just after the bombs goes off, or before? They'll finish un-sticking themselves just to have bombs explode all over them." Draco suggested.  
  
"I'll set a timer spell on the glue for ten seconds after the bombs. Should we make the carpet grow grass?" Draco blinked at him in astonishment.  
  
"Uh okay, blue and green? Neon of course." He asked.  
  
"Sounds good." Harry replied, he finished with the glue and went to work on the carpet, Draco was stuffing dung bombs under the cushions of a couch. When they had finished they stopped to survey their work.  
  
"Shall we go on to Ravenclaw?" Harry asked after a few minutes, Ira was supposed to be meeting them there, he wondered how she'd react to this change in Malfoy.  
  
"Alright, I've got three fireworks and two dung bombs left." They left and hurried off to Ravenclaw, they went in, just as the door closed behind them it opened again and Ira came in. She did a quick double take at the sight of Malfoy, but didn't say anything until she'd scanned the room and hallways for students.  
  
"Didn't expect to see you here. What's up?"  
  
"I had planned to dung bomb the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws myself, Harry and I met outside Hufflepuff and joined forces." Harry relaxed; there wasn't a hint of sarcasm or loathing in Malfoy's voice. Hopefully that meant a truce had been declared, for now, hopefully forever. Draco would be a useful ally, he was a good wizard, and Harry sensed he had a nice side to him. Wondering if this was so Harry broke through the blocking spell on Malofy's mind. He had set his "hooks" into all the Slytherins, 89% of the students had these "hooks" in their minds.  
  
Come on, I'm not an enemy damn it! I'm not one of them, come on. Agree, say it's okay. Harry, slightly behind Malfoy, gave Ira a small nod, Malfoy could be trusted.  
  
"Alright. I've go the sand." Ira held up a small bag, in order to conjure up huge quantities of things it was best to have a small sample with you already. Harry and Ira set about filling up the entire Ravenclaw dorms with three feet of pink sand.  
  
"You see, everything has three feet of it, even the stairways, it won't hurt them. They'll just land in sand if the fall. And the common room will have four feet of it. All bright pink, but we're going to hang it from the ceiling so that it'll all fall like fast falling snow during the night. A strong illusion will cover it up." Ira explained. Draco began working on the spells to keep it on the ceiling and Harry finished with his part of the sand and started on the illusion. It took longer then the Hufflepuffs, but when it was done it would be better. They all finished and admired their work for a moment.  
  
"Staff room?" Draco suggested and they were off.  
  
"What are we doing here?" Ira asked once they'd entered the empty staff room.  
  
"This will be great. You see there's this muggle…TV character… named Barney. He's a big pink-purple dinosaur. I'm not entirely sure what he looks like but I'll create him here. Each of you makes a big snowman, with fangs and spiked icicle-hair. Really mean and fierce looking. The we enchant them all so that when the door opens the dinosaur says "Hi everybody! I'm Barney, and these are my good friends Jack and Jill! Really happy like, ecstatic at seeing whomever opens the door. The snowmen come out from behind the fat dinosaur and sneer and wave long pointed stick- arms. Then the dinosaur sticks out one foot, the foot grows until it fills the doorway, then steps down on whomever the poor soul is whose standing there, but the rest of the dinosaur doesn't grow, just the foot, then the foot shrinks back to normal size. Then the snowmen pounce, their mouths open and grow really big, filled with huge sharp teeth, when they hit the person the snowmen explode, covering them in orange snow that turns their hair orange. The professor has been knocked back into the hallway so now the snowmen vanish back through the door and it shuts, waiting for someone else to open it." Draco and Ira looked at each other.  
  
"Off his rocker, but brilliant." Ira pronounced, Draco just shook his head, hiding a smile.  
  
Once they were done with the staff room they ran laughing back to the ball. It was almost over but they spent the rest of the night telling Ron and Hermione what they had done. After a little initial disgust at seeing Malfoy, Ron and Hermione got over their surprise at learning that their enemy of five years had a nice side and relaxed. From then on Draco Malfoy became their friend, and accompanied them on their pranks.  
  
**  
  
Harry slumped into bed, exhausted. He'd been assigning Patrol's missions all evening. Each Patrol got a new mission each week, unless it was a long mission. Voldemort had attacked two days ago, kidnapped five muggles and killed twelve. Oh well, tonight he could sleep all night for the first time in three days. The Marauders had spent most of the last three nights working on one of their bets pranks yet, another play. It would be shown the next morning at breakfast, he couldn't wait.  
  
**  
  
(AN: If you haven't seen Monty Python or are not a fan you had best skip this chapter)  
  
The next morning, just as breakfast was ending, one wall of the dining hall dissolved in blackness and writing appeared.  
  
  
  
The Magical Mischief Making Marauders are Hugely and Horribly Proud to Present  
  
AN ORIGONAL SKETCH BY  
  
THE HOGWART'S MARAUDER OF THE ROUND TABLE  
  
1 THE SPANISH INQUISITION  
  
  
  
Hermione: Trouble at mill.  
  
Ira: Oh no - what kind of trouble?  
  
Hermione: One on't cross beams gone owt askew on treddle.  
  
Ira: Pardon?  
  
Hermione: One on't cross beams gone owt askew on treddle.  
  
Ira: I don't understand what you're saying.  
  
Hermione: (slightly irritatedly and with exaggeratedly clear accent) One of the cross beams has gone out askew on the treddle.  
  
Ira: Well what on earth does that mean?  
  
Hermione: *I* don't know - Mr Wentworth just told me to come in here and say that there was trouble at the mill, that's all - I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition.  
  
(JARRING CHORD)  
  
(The door flies open and Cardinal Ron of Spain enters, flanked by  
  
two junior cardinals. Cardinal Harry has goggles pushed over his  
  
forehead. Cardinal Draco is just Cardinal Fang)  
  
Ron: NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is  
  
suprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two  
  
weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our  
  
*three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an  
  
almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no...  
  
*Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as  
  
fear, surprise.... I'll come in again. (Exit and exeunt)  
  
Hermione: I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition.  
  
(JARRING CHORD)  
  
(The cardinals burst in)  
  
Ron: NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Amongst our weaponry are such  
  
diverse elements as: fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, an almost  
  
fanatical devotion to the Pope, and nice red uniforms - Oh damn! (To  
  
Cardinal Biggles) I can't say it - you'll have to say it.  
  
Harry: What?  
  
Ron: You'll have to say the bit about 'Our chief weapons are ...'  
  
Harry: (rather horrified): I couldn't do that...  
  
(Ron bundles the cardinals outside again)  
  
Hermione: I didn't expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition.  
  
(JARRING CHORD)  
  
(The cardinals enter)  
  
Harry: Er.... Nobody...um....  
  
Ron: Expects...  
  
Harry: Expects... Nobody expects the...um...the Spanish...um...  
  
Ron: Inquisition.  
  
Harry: I know, I know! Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition. In fact,  
  
those who do expect -  
  
Ron: Our chief weapons are...  
  
Harry: Our chief weapons are...um...er...  
  
Ron: Surprise...  
  
Harry: Surprise and --  
  
Ron: Okay, stop. Stop. Stop there - stop there. Stop. Phew! Ah!  
  
...our chief weapons are surprise...blah blah blah. Cardinal, read the charges.  
  
Draco: You are hereby charged that you did on diverse dates commit heresy  
  
against the Holy Church. 'My old man said follow the--'  
  
Harry: That's enough. (To Ira) Now, how do you plead?  
  
Ira: We're innocent.  
  
Ron: Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!  
  
(Superimposed caption: 'DIABOLICAL LAUGHTER')  
  
Harry: We'll soon change your mind about that!  
  
(Superimposed caption: 'DIABOLICAL ACTING')  
  
Ron: Fear, surprise, and a most ruthless-- (controls himself with a  
  
supreme effort) Ooooh! Now, Cardinal -- the rack!  
  
(Harry produces a plastic-coated dish-drying rack. Ron looks at it and  
  
clenches his teeth in an effort not to lose control. He hums heavily to cover  
  
his anger)  
  
Ron: You....Right! Tie her down.  
  
(Draco and Harry make a pathetic attempt to tie her on to the drying rack)  
  
Ron: Right! How do you plead?  
  
Ira: Innocent.  
  
Ron: Ha! Right! Cardinal, give the rack (oh dear) give the rack a turn.  
  
(Harry stands there awkwardly and shrugs his shoulders)  
  
Harry: I....  
  
Ron: (gritting his teeth) I *know*, I know you can't. I didn't want to say  
  
anything. I just wanted to try and ignore your crass mistake.  
  
Harry: I...  
  
Ron: It makes it all seem so stupid.  
  
Harry: Shall I...?  
  
Ron: No, just pretend for God's sake. Ha! Ha! Ha!  
  
(Harry turns an imaginary handle on the side of the dish-rack)  
  
(Cut to them torturing a dear old lady, (Ira))  
  
Ron: Now, old woman -- you are accused of heresy on three counts -- heresy  
  
by thought, heresy by word, heresy by deed, and heresy by action --  
  
*four* counts. Do you confess?  
  
Ira: I don't understand what I'm accused of.  
  
Ron: Ha! Then we'll make you understand! Harry! Fetch...THE CUSHIONS!  
  
(JARRING CHORD)  
  
(Harry holds out two ordinary modern household cushions)  
  
Harry: Here they are, sir.  
  
Ron: Now, old lady -- you have one last chance. Confess the heinous sin  
  
of heresy, reject the works of the ungodly -- *two* last chances. And  
  
you shall be free -- *three* last chances. You have three last  
  
chances, the nature of which I have divulged in my previous utterance.  
  
Ira: I don't know what you're talking about.  
  
Ron: Right! If that's the way you want it -- Cardinal! Poke her with the  
  
soft cushions!  
  
(Harry carries out this rather pathetic torture)  
  
Ron: Confess! Confess! Confess!  
  
Harry: It doesn't seem to be hurting her, sir.  
  
Ron: Have you got all the stuffing up one end?  
  
Harry: Yes, sir.  
  
Ron (angrily hurling away the cushions): Hm! She is made of harder  
  
stuff! Cardinal Draco! Fetch...THE COMFY CHAIR!  
  
(JARRING CHORD)  
  
(Zoom into Draco's horrified face)  
  
Draco (terrified): The...Comfy Chair?  
  
(Harry pushes in a comfy chair -- a really plush one)  
  
Ron: So you think you are strong because you can survive the soft  
  
cushions. Well, we shall see, Harry! Put her in the Comfy Chair!  
  
(They roughly push her into the Comfy Chair)  
  
Ron (with a cruel leer): Now -- you will stay in the Comfy Chair until  
  
lunch time, with only a cup of coffee at eleven.  
  
(aside, to Harry) Is that really all it is?  
  
Harry: Yes, sir.  
  
Ron: I see. I suppose we make it worse by shouting a lot, do we?  
  
Confess, woman. Confess! Confess! Confess! Confess!  
  
Harry: I confess!  
  
Ron: Not you!  
  
(Sketch ends)  
  
Draco appears sitting behind a desk. "And now for something completely different.  
  
THE CHEESE SHOP SKETCH  
  
(Harry is the customer (C) and Ron is the owner (O))  
  
Customer: Good Morning.  
  
Owner: Good morning, Sir. Welcome to the National Cheese Emporium!  
  
Customer: Ah, thank you, my good man.  
  
Owner: What can I do for you, Sir?  
  
C: Well, I was, uh, sitting in the public library on Thurmon Street just now,  
  
skimming through "Rogue Herrys" by Hugh Walpole, and I suddenly came over  
  
all peckish.  
  
O: Peckish, sir?  
  
C: Esuriant.  
  
O: Eh?  
  
C: 'Ee, Ah wor 'ungry-loike!  
  
O: Ah, hungry!  
  
C: In a nutshell. And I thought to myself, "a little fermented curd will do  
  
the trick," so, I curtailed my Walpoling activites, sallied forth, and  
  
infiltrated your place of purveyance to negotiate the vending of some cheesy  
  
comestibles!  
  
O: Come again?  
  
C: I want to buy some cheese.  
  
O: Oh, I thought you were complaining about the bazouki player!  
  
C: Oh, heaven forbid: I am one who delights in all manifestations of the  
  
Terpsichorean muse!  
  
O: Sorry?  
  
C: 'Ooo, Ah lahk a nice tuune, 'yer forced too!  
  
O: So he can go on playing, can he?  
  
C: Most certainly! Now then, some cheese please, my good man.  
  
O: (lustily) Certainly, sir. What would you like?  
  
C: Well, eh, how about a little red Leicester.  
  
O: I'm, a-fraid we're fresh out of red Leicester, sir.  
  
C: Oh, never mind, how are you on Tilsit?  
  
O: I'm afraid we never have that at the end of the week, sir, we get it  
  
fresh on Monday.  
  
C: Tish tish. No matter. Well, stout yeoman, four ounces of Caerphilly, if  
  
you please.  
  
O: Ah! It's beeeen on order, sir, for two weeks. Was expecting it this  
  
morning.  
  
C: 'T's Not my lucky day, is it? Aah, Bel Paese?  
  
O: Sorry, sir.  
  
C: Red Windsor?  
  
O: Normally, sir, yes. Today the van broke down.  
  
C: Ah. Stilton?  
  
O: Sorry.  
  
C: Ementhal? Gruyere?  
  
O: No.  
  
C: Any Norweigan Jarlsburg, per chance.  
  
O: No.  
  
C: Lipta?  
  
O: No.  
  
C: Lancashire?  
  
O: No.  
  
C: White Stilton?  
  
O: No.  
  
C: Danish Brew?  
  
O: No.  
  
C: Double Goucester?  
  
O: pause No.  
  
C: Cheshire?  
  
O: No.  
  
C: Dorset Bluveny?  
  
O: No.  
  
C: Brie, Roquefort, Pol le Veq, Port Salut, Savoy Aire, Saint Paulin, Carrier  
  
de lest, Bres Bleu, Bruson?  
  
O: No.  
  
C: Camenbert, perhaps?  
  
O: Ah! We have Camenbert, yessir.  
  
C: (suprised) You do! Excellent.  
  
O: Yessir. It's..ah,.....it's a bit runny...  
  
C: Oh, I like it runny.  
  
O: Well,.. It's very runny, actually, sir.  
  
C: No matter. Fetch hither the fromage de la Belle France! Mmmwah!  
  
O: I...think it's a bit runnier than you'll like it, sir.  
  
C: I don't care how fucking runny it is. Hand it over with all speed.  
  
O: Oooooooooohhh........! pause  
  
C: What now?  
  
O: The cat's eaten it.  
  
C: pause Has he.  
  
O: She, sir.  
  
(pause)  
  
C: Gouda?  
  
O: No.  
  
C: Edam?  
  
O: No.  
  
C: Case Ness?  
  
O: No.  
  
C: Smoked Austrian?  
  
O: No.  
  
C: Japanese Sage Darby?  
  
O: No, sir.  
  
C: You...do *have* some cheese, don't you?  
  
O: (brightly) Of course, sir. It's a cheese shop, sir. We've got--  
  
C: No no... don't tell me. I'm keen to guess.  
  
O: Fair enough.  
  
C: Uuuuuh, Wensleydale.  
  
O: Yes?  
  
C: Ah, well, I'll have some of that!  
  
O: Oh! I thought you were talking to me, sir.  
  
Mister Wensleydale, that's my name.  
  
(pause)  
  
C: Greek Feta?  
  
O: Uh, not as such.  
  
C: Uuh, Gorgonzola?  
  
O: no  
  
C: Parmesan,  
  
O: no  
  
C: Mozarella,  
  
O: no  
  
C: Paper Cramer,  
  
O: no  
  
C: Danish Bimbo,  
  
O: no  
  
C: Czech sheep's milk,  
  
O: no  
  
C: Venezuelan Beaver Cheese?  
  
O: Not *today*, sir, no.  
  
(pause)  
  
C: Aah, how about Cheddar?  
  
O: Well, we don't get much call for it around here, sir.  
  
C: Not much ca--It's the single most popular cheese in the world!  
  
O: Not 'round here, sir.  
  
C: slight pause and what IS the most popular cheese 'round hyah?  
  
O: 'Illchester, sir.  
  
C: IS it.  
  
O: Oh, yes, it's staggeringly popular in this manor, squire.  
  
C: Is it.  
  
O: It's our number one best seller, sir!  
  
C: I see. Uuh...'Illchester, eh?  
  
O: Right, sir.  
  
C: All right. Okay.  
  
'Have you got any?' he asked, expecting the answer 'no'.  
  
O: I'll have a look, sir...  
  
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnno.  
  
C: It's not much of a cheese shop, is it?  
  
O: Finest in the district!  
  
C: (annoyed) Explain the logic underlying that conclusion, please.  
  
O: Well, it's so clean, sir!  
  
C: It's certainly uncontaminated by cheese....  
  
O: (brightly) You haven't asked me about Limburger, sir.  
  
C: Would it be worth it?  
  
O: Could be....  
  
C: Have you --SHUT THAT BLOODY BAZOUKI OFF!  
  
O: Told you sir....  
  
C: (slowly) Have you got any Limburger?  
  
O: No.  
  
C: Figures.  
  
Predictable, really I suppose. It was an act of purest optimism to have  
  
posed the question in the first place. Tell me:  
  
O: Yessir?  
  
C: (deliberately) Have you in fact got any cheese here at all.  
  
O: Yes,sir.  
  
C: Really?  
  
(pause)  
  
O: No. Not really, sir.  
  
C: You haven't.  
  
O: Nosir. Not a scrap. I was deliberately wasting your time,sir.  
  
C: Well I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to hit you.  
  
O: Right-0, sir.  
  
The customer takes out a pillow and hits the owner owner. Owner's eyes roll up in his head and he cartwheels out the door signing Christmas carols.  
  
C: What a *senseless* waste of human sanity.  
  
Hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter may be a few days! REVIEW! 


	16. Chapter 16 A Taste of Friendship

Chapter 16 A Taste of Friendship  
  
The third Hogsmead weekend approached, most of the students who were allowed were going down to see how much the town had changed. Word had it that the population had almost doubled since last year and some student's parents were now living there, close to Hogwarts.  
  
The day promised to be warm and bright, probably the last day of such warm weather before winter really set in. The leaves were almost all off the trees and the grass was turning brown. The first frost had come the night before, and all the plants were shriveling up for the winter. A large group of students were standing just outside Zonkos. Normally it would have been very odd indeed to see Slytherins hanging around all friendly-like with anyone, but these days all the Slytherins but a small group had finally learned and dropped their facade of cruelty and shown who they really were. After nearly two years of hard work Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ira, with a little help, a broken through Draco Malfoy's mean shell and managed to befriend him, hopefully getting him away from Voldemort. They regarded this as a triumph, it had taken great patience and hard work, but it was worth it if they could get him away from Voldemort, currently they were working on Pansy Parkinson who, unlike Draco, was not friendless and who's death eater father did not show her only hatred in the hopes of making her stronger. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ira, Draco, Morgan, Tanya, Sam, Neville, Dean, Cynthia, Cho, and two new students, Clara the Slytherin, for though she had more than her fair share of cunning she was very nice once she chose her friends, and Zagreb, a new Ravenclaw, were gathered outside Zonkos, tossing Bertie Bots every flavor jelly beans in the air and catching them in their mouths when a scream echoed down the street. A moment later figures in black hooded robes and masks attacked.  
  
Harry put his bag aside and leaped into the battle, his friends followed swiftly. The street was in chaos as curses flew and people fled. Thirty order Agents were there in less than a minute and joined the fight. Then a tall figure in hooded robes with red eyes came down the street, at the same moment Voldemort arrived at the center of the town the Phoenix, Miranda, and Mundungus appeared in front of him. Everything went quiet, no one moved. Harry started a spell mentally, waiting for the coming clash.  
  
It came, both sides attacked at once, Harry threw up his shield spell, covering one half of the main ride, the end near Zonkos, and began hurrying people through the shield and to safety behind it.  
  
"It won't hold against his strongest curses, but it'll hold against almost anything else." He told the frantic people, who, strangely, weren't for once screaming and running around like chickens with their heads cut off. The general population had been told so many times what to do in an attack that they reacted unthinkingly.  
  
"Harry!" Ron yelled, Harry whirled, Voldemort wasn't far behind him, the others were distracted, though Sirius was fighting his way to Voldemort. Voldemort sucked in a breath and whipped his wand at Draco.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" Harry leaped, people screamed in terror, Draco's eyes went wide with shock. Harry reached out and grabbed the curse form the air. He crumpled to the ground silently, once again everything went quiet, then Harry stirred, Sirius hurled a fireball at Voldemort who threw a cruciatus curse at Harry. Harry couldn't move, he was too disoriented, someone jumped in front of him and was hit by the curse. Harry blinked hard and looked up, Snape was rolling on the ground, Voldemort was forced to duck away by Sirius's fireball, breaking the curse. Snape staggered to his feet, Harry raised himself a little, he could handle the curse, but only truly be unharmed if he caught it on his crossed arms. Seeing the fight still going he jumped up and called lightning, it smashed down and grabbed Voldemort's wand, slowly the wand floated to Harry, once again everything was quiet as all eyes followed the wand. Harry grabbed the wand from the air and with slow deliberateness raised it in both hands. SNAP! The sound echoed oddly all around, Voldemort let a scream like a wounded animal and leaped at Harry. Harry whirled and kicked, smashing Voldemort's face he turned again and kicked again, Voldemort staggered back, Harry jumped up and lashed out with one leg, hearing bone break he landed and whirled, slammed a fist into Voldemort's face he leaned back and kicked him again. Voldemort reeled away, clutching his face, covered in his own blood. Harry steadied himself, Voldemort drew back to stand just in front of his death eaters. Sirius faced him across the open ground. Voldemort turned and signaled, one of the death eaters snapped his wand down at a shop, three women and two men were dragged from their hiding place to Voldemort's feet, the Order of the Phoenix attacked.  
  
"I'll kill them!" Voldemort's shout brought them all up short, the order drew back as they saw his threat was real, he had his hand over the hostages, palm down. All it took was a spell, Voldemort didn't necessarily need a wand. Voldemort nodded to his death eater, who preformed knocked four aside a little and grabbed the remaining woman by her hair.  
  
"Are you muggle born?!" He yelled at her, she nodded, terrified. "Crucio!" Screams filled the air.  
  
Harry suddenly got an idea and stepped boldly past Sirius and walked up until he stood five feet from Voldemort. The death eater stopped the torture.  
  
"So that's it, isn't it Tom? You want to destroy all muggle-borns." He said flatly.  
  
"We will rid wizarding kind of their filth, and all shall be grateful and bow to me." Voldemort hissed angrily, eyes blazing.  
  
"Does that include yourself?" Harry asked sharply, he let the question hang for a moment. "You would have to you know. To rid the world of muggle-borns and half-and –half's you would have to kill yourself, you know that, don't you Tom?" There was a long silence.  
  
"Don't call me that!" Voldemort said softly, rage burning in his eyes.  
  
"Call you what? Tom? Would you prefer Tommy I suppose? Marvarlo? Mr. Riddle perhaps? That is your name after all."  
  
"DON"T CALL ME THAT! I AM VOLDEMORT!" He enemy bellowed.  
  
"Do they know?" Harry asked, Voldemort blinked, surprised at this new line of thought. "Do they know?" Harry repeated, his voice deadly, Voldemort just stared, and Harry gestured to his hooded and masked supporters. "DO YOUR DEATH EATERS KNOW WHO YOU ARE???" Harry shouted.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Voldemort asked, he was breathing quickly, and his eyes looked a little fearful.  
  
"DO YOUR DEATH EATERS KNOW THAT YOU, YOU WHO WISH TO DESTROY ALL THOSE WITH MUGGLE BLOOD, DO THEY KNOW THAT YOU ARE HALF MUGGLE YOURSELF???" Harry roared in anger. He got only silence, he turned to the death eaters.  
  
"Your Master," he began softly, "was born Tom Marvarlo Riddle the III, son of Tom Marvarlo Riddle the II, who as a muggle." Once again he was greeted with shocked silence, behind him the Order members were nodding and grinning. "You, you who profess to be clean, elite, above all muggle-borns, clear of muggle blood, which has done nothing but strengthen wizarding kind, you who Pride. Yourselves. In. Being. Clean. Of. Their. Blood. YOU! ARE LED BY A DERANGED PHYSCHOTIC WHO IS HALF MUGGLE HIMSLEF!" Harry snarled, jabbing a finger at them, his voice steadily rising.  
  
"NO!" Voldemort yelled hysterically.  
  
"YES!" Harry snapped back. He walked along the line of death eaters. "You Tom, and you lot," he gestured to the death eaters, "are inconsistent, muggles you say are weak, fun to torture, vile, unhealthy for wizarding kind, stupid, ignorant, and so far below your pure selves that they should not exist, how can you possibly say that?" he asked almost imploringly, "when you are led by a half muggle who wishes to destroy ALL, key word being ALL, those with muggle blood. I ask you, does this include himself? Are you sure this is a cause to die for?" Once again silence.  
  
"I'll kill you!" Voldemort snarled, stepping forwards, Harry gave him such a look that he paused for a moment.  
  
"Or perhaps he wishes to be the only living person with muggle blood and just wishes to kill all the others?" Harry asked enthusiastically, as if this was some brilliant eye-opening insight, someone snickered. "But I doubt that, your purpose is wrong, and in order to fulfill it you will have to kill yourself, I congratulate you on your goal, it mirrors my own and many others. We thank you for solving our problems for us." He bowed to Voldemort, someone laughed outright.  
  
"ATTACK! KILL KILL KILL!!!!!!!!!" Voldemort screamed, more out of reflexive training than anything else, the death eaters attacked, Harry hurled lightning at them and curses.  
  
The fight was going full blast, Harry saw Lucious Malfoy's hood suddenly fly back, and saw his head taken off by a curse. *Draco, oh no, poor guy* he thought, but had no time to do anything.  
  
Finally the death eaters fled, leaving five dead in the street, Harry lowered the shield.  
  
"Students return to Hogwarts AT ONCE!" The Phoenix commanded, using his Voice Power, everyone left, their legs taking them back up to the castle before they had time to register the fact, there was no fighting the Phoenixes Voice Power.  
  
**  
  
The next day, around noon, Harry pulled out the Marauders Map he checked it and swore. The other Marauders were outside, he ran down to the entrance hall, along a hallway, and into a secret room. Draco Malfoy was kneeling on the floor, crying, a black envelope in front of him.  
  
Harry didn't have to ask, he knelt beside his new friend and touched his shoulder lightly.  
  
"Hey, I just heard, I'm sorry." He whispered softly. Draco looked up.  
  
"He wasn't really much of a father." He said, trying to sound brave and failing miserably.  
  
"But he was your father, and all you had. And that's what hurts." Harry finished for him, Draco sniffed and looked down again. A few tears dropping onto the envelope.  
  
Harry stayed with Draco for nearly an hour while the other cried quietly. Finally he dried his tears a bit.  
  
"He wanted me to be a death eater." Draco whispered suddenly.  
  
"Do you want to be?" Harry asked, Draco stared at him.  
  
"Of course not! Never! But what if they come for me?"  
  
"Spit in Voldemort's face, call him names, beat the stuff'in outa him, and refuse."  
  
"Riiight, and live? No."  
  
"Make a portkey that will transport you to Hogwarts and keep it with you at all times."  
  
"What if they take it before I can use it?"  
  
"Make it really small, and hide it behind your ear, they won't look there."  
  
"What if they tie me up?"  
  
"Enchant the portkey so that the only signal it needs is your saying "take me to Hogwarts. And tell the Order of the Phoenix about this problem. Talk to professor Figg next Defense class, she's a member and will help you." Harry suggested, he'd already thought about this.  
  
"Alright, that sounds good."  
  
"Is, is your mum, well, is she a death eater?"  
  
"No, I think she only stayed with father because of me."  
  
"Well, at least you've got her, maybe she can help too."  
  
"I'm going to visit her in, oh my, ten minutes, thanks Harry."  
  
"That's what friends are for." Draco stopped at the door and turned for a minute.  
  
"I'd never had any real friends, until this Halloween, it is different… I like it," and he left hurried off. Harry went up to the rooms behind his bed, Draco didn't know about them yet, and began to make a plan he'd had recently become reality.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Please please please review! Sorry if I messed some stuff up at the Quidditch match, I know the chasers were supposed to have graduated, just say that they're all seventh years okay? Thanks!  
  
Should Draco be a Marauder?  
  
What do U think of the story?  
  
i might be few days in putting up the next chapter be patient please 


	17. Chapter 17 The New Marauder & The irish ...

Thank you if you reviewed, bad luck forever to those who didn't. This is the next chapter, enjoy. And PLEASE REVIEW! No pranks in this one, sad parts, happy parts, and depressing parts.  
  
  
  
Chapter 17 The New Marauder & The Four Leaf Clover Irish School of Sorcery Attack  
  
When Draco Malfoy arrived back in school it was the truly last day of fall and everyone was outside, except the Marauders. The Christmas Holidays were only two weeks away. He was met at the door by Ron, who ignored his questions and set off towards Gryffindor Tower, up through the common room and into the boys dorm, through the fake wall behind Harry's bed and into the Marauders domain. By this time he was bursting with questions and very confused.  
  
Inside the others were seated on couches and in armchairs around a coffee table talking.  
  
"Hello." Ira greeted him cheerfully; Draco took the remaining seat and looked around.  
  
"Draco we've been thinking for sometime about your helping us with pranks, tell us, do you want to be a Marauder?" Ron asked.  
  
"What? Oh, yes! I'd love to join you." He replied with enthusiasm. Harry clapped his hands together.  
  
"Well then that's done, we'll need to add another hand to our symbol though." Everyone pulled out their badges, Harry tossed Draco one, they added a hand to the four already there.  
  
"Now, lets see, how shall we celebrate this?" Ira asked, puling out their prank list. With evil chuckles they set to work plotting.  
  
**  
  
Soon the Holidays were upon them, all the Marauders chose to stay at the school, many students did. In all forty-eight remained at school, an almost unprecedented number. Over the past two weeks thirty-four people had been killed, including two whole wizarding families and two Order members and one retired auror who had, when still working, killed ten of Voldemort's snakes.  
  
Four days before the Holiday's started Harry woke at just past midnight from a dream, shaking. He leaped out of bed and dressed in half a minute. Then he sent his mind searching, trying to find Sirius, but his telepathy skills weren't up to it, Harry drew from his power stone and finally located his Godfather, half a world away investigating an Inca Wizard's tomb. Phoenix? The Four Leaf Clover Irish School of Sorcery is being attacked! The response was almost instantaneous. I'll call out the Order, we're going to have to evacuate, would you help get the Fortress ready? Miranda's in charge there right now. Harry sent his reply and turned, the other boys were awake.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"The Irish School of Sorcery is being attacked, the Order's been called out, I have to go help with the evacuations." Harry replied before he leaped out the window and floated away from the school before calling his lightning.  
  
**  
  
Harry arrived at the Fortress in time to join the Evacuation Team, which consisted of the Blur, Aqua, and Yellow Patrols along with ten of the thirty strong Broom Brigade and two healers. They took portkeys to the Irish school.  
  
It was an immense building, not so large as Hogwarts, but close. Anything burnable was burning, the gates were open and fighting was going on in the corridors and classrooms between students, staff, and the death eaters. Harry started near the top of the building in a tower. There were ten students who had locked themselves in the tower, Harry got them out with a portkey, he then took care of the death eaters trying to get in and began working his way down.  
  
**  
  
By morning the fight was just ending, a few small pockets of death eater resistance were left in the lowest dungeon, but most had fled back to Voldemort. Of about 900 students 322 were dead, 408 badly injured, 10 dying, 52 uninjured, and 100 mildly injured. Harry had some horrible damage to his left shoulder and right lower leg, but he was alive. 13 Order agents had been killed. He was dead tired, but still had a long job ahead of him.  
  
Back at the Fortress Harry helped the evacuated students into large barracks, and then he visited the healers. His shoulder had been hit with a skinning spell and the edge of a disintegrating curse. But the wound was clean and not too deep and quickly patched up. His left lower leg had 1st degree burns and his knee was skinned from a fall on the rough stone steps of a stairway. It took a while but it too was healed, then he went to work helping to heal others. The healers had discovered that Harry had a strong stomach for the sight of blood and guts, he also had the ability to calm people with his eyes, he could also tell if they were lying about injuries by reading their thoughts, or hear their mental screams of pain. He was sent to help with some of the worst injured, but quickly had to stop, he just couldn't take their thoughts, it was just too much. He couldn't escape, couldn't cut off their voices, all around him, and nowhere in the Fortress was he free from their haunting screams. But Harry gritted his teeth and held on to his sanity, it took some major spell work to top him from biting his lip to shreds and stop the tears and dizziness that came from minds crying out everywhere. He asked people to use the blocking spell, but there were too many of them. By 10: a.m. Harry had had all he could possibly stand and he left. Back at school all classes had been canceled, to avoid worried people bugging him he snuck back into his secret rooms and locked them and went to sleep on a couch, and dreamed dreams of hundreds of minds screaming in pain and of a burning school ad the thoughts of the dying students, staff, death eaters, and Order members alike as they fought and died, being a mind read was tough.  
  
  
  
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW  
  
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW  
  
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THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U THANK U  
  
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	18. Chapter 18 The Minister's Mistake

Chapter 18 The Minister's Mistake  
  
The winter holidays were upon them in a flash, one morning the school woke up to find the grounds covered in two feet of snow. When Professor McGonagal came around making a list of those who'd be staying at Hogwarts many more students than usual signed up. The day before the holidays started Harry was called to an Order meeting in the headmaster's office.  
  
He arrived early, Fawkes greeted him with a trill that opened a secret door across the room. In the room beyond was a huge oval wooden table with twenty-eight chairs around it. The floor was reddish wood that matched the table, the two windows were closed with green vines creping across them. The large fireplace in the back had a fire going in it, above the mantle huge a wonderful painting of Hogwarts on a winter day. Harry sat down at his seat, four down on the Phoenix's right facing the windows with the fireplace to his right. He put his report on Voldemort's current activities down in front of him and went to work polishing his wand. Soon the fire turned green and the Order of the Phoenix Council started coming in. Sarlan Master of Spies, Remus Head of the Dark Creature Control & Werewolf Agents Divisions, Aram Head of the Muggle Murder Division, Yotrisk the Training Master, Charlie (Weasely) Dragons & Fire Lions, Shenya- War Unicorns & Hippogriffs, Bane-Dire Wolves, Xenrose Chief of the Healers, Fiona Leader of the Broom Brigade, Taekal Master of the Smiths and Carpenters, Jarul of the Sciences, Hanarah, she took care of the ever-annoying press, George- Patrol and Divisions Effectiveness, Jan who recruited, and then there were the Patrol Leaders. Alanna of the Copper, Mundungus of the Red, Tira of the Orange, Faral of the Blue, Cindy of the Yellow, Waredon of the Green, Zamfrihia of the Purple, Liam of the Silver, Ventric of the Bronze and lastly Miranda of the Gold, and Severus Snape-Potions Master. Then of course there was the Lord Phoenix Sirius Black and ex-Phoenix and Master of Hogwarts Albus Dumbledore, and then of course Harry.  
  
And then there was someone Harry would never have thought to see, the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and two of his assistants.  
  
Everyone took their seats, Sirius at the head of the table, Miranda at the opposite end, Albus next to Sirius on one side and Sarlan of the other with Snape next to him and beyond him Alanna. On Harry's side it went, from Albus, Mundungus, the Minister, Harry. Everyone but the Minister had their minds blocked from Harry, and so he was instantly hit with a barrage of thoughts, which he shoved away and tried to ignore.  
  
"This meeting of the Order of the Phoenix has begun. As our "guest" we have the Minister of Magic and his assistants Jemima and Greg. He has claimed the right to sit in on this meeting. Now Minister, before we begin, you have sworn that you will not tell anyone anything you may hear here, we trust you will keep your word. Harry here is a mind reader, unless you wish him to hear all your thoughts you should block your mind, the spell is Blockarius, no wand necessary, just think it." The Minister stared at Harry, Harry could clearly hear him thinking the spell over and over, without effect.  
  
"Minister that is not working because you are going to fast and panicking. Take it slow and think hard, try to put your entire mind into the spell. The Minister gulped and tried again, this time it worked. "Much better, thank you." He turned to the aids Jemima Pins was so terrified of a mind reader that she was almost completely unable to perform the spell, after nearly a dozen tries she suddenly calmed a bit and the spell snapped into place. Harry nearly sighed with relief, Jemima Pins was very firmly on the Minister's side and hated him. Next came Greg, who was much more at ease and, Harry suspected, not very loyal at all to the Minister. It took him two tries, Harry looked back to Sirius.  
  
"Alright, Jan how has the recruiting been going?" The Phoenix asked.  
  
"Well enough, by the time the next entry session comes we'll have fourteen new recruits, if they live that long, Voldemort may target them."  
  
"We've had almost no word on him from any of our spies, he's keeping quiet since the attack on that Irish school." Sarlan commented, turning to Harry he added, "what about your spies?" Harry handed out reports to everyone but their three unwelcome guests.  
  
"Good news and bad news. Good news is Voldemort has finished making his immortality potion, with the ingredients we supplied in it, he's staying quiet because he's nearly dead from it. Bad news is it didn't quite kill him, but he's in a coma and may not come out." It was as if Harry has put cheering charms on all of them, cheers and shouts of joy went up instantly all around the room. Harry smiled and waved them back into their seats. "I've got more, bad news I am afraid, Voldemort has eight new recruits, and he has gotten an apprentice to aid him. Some very powerful dark wizard from Australia of all places calling himself Satan. But he won't do anything while Voldemort s this ill, so we don't have too much to worry about from him, yet. In the report you'll find physical descriptions of all the new recruits I could get information on, including a magical ID and some information on each, that includes this apprentice Satan." There was a long pause and a few groans and sighs. "It will be a while before I get anything more though, my snakes can't seem to locate him anymore, he's just vanished, and none of them were around when he left, sorry."  
  
"I have a question about your recruiting." The Minister said. "Do you pay the recruits to join? Do you give them ideas of glory? Do you tell them that your leader is an escaped convict and murderer? Do you-" he was drowned out by the angry outcry at this. Half the people were on their feet shouting, Sirius quieted them down mentally, he was sitting quietly, Harry, who hadn't said a thing, spoke up softly, his voice deadly.  
  
"I wonder what the public would have to say about that statement, or the courts? Are you suggesting that they were not up to par that day? I am sure they'll be pleased to hear your opinion of them. Tell me, do you complain about every trial, or just the ones that don't go your way? Might I ask why you are protesting now, a year and half after the trial? Have you lost so much faith in our court system, or has the public lost fait in you?" The Minister's face and mind told him everything. "Do you really think that putting him back in prison will up your popularity? Or get rid of Voldemort?" There was a long drawn out silence in which the Minister fidgeted and got up his courage while glaring at Harry.  
  
"You have no right to talk to him that way!" Jemima snapped angrily, Harry smiled a little and looked away, looking bored.  
  
"My apologies, I was making an observation and asking a question, I did not know that that is against any laws, nor disrespectful." The last he said with quite a bit of contempt in his voice.  
  
"He-who-must-not-be-named has not returned, I know all about your little organization. If the public thinks he's back you get popularity and control, you're no better then he WAS, some guy dressed like him killing people while you pretend to fight him, a good plot to over throw the Ministry I see, very well done, but I know the truth. It is over now, you can't harm me and I have found you out I-"  
  
"You are blind and incredibly foolish." It was a statement, spoken quietly and calmly from Harry, who was examining a fingernail. "How long do you think it will take him to get you? You're only alive right now because your opposition and disbelief splits the wizarding world, making it an easy target. We squabble among ourselves while Voldemort slowly picks away, until it breaks and he takes all. When will you open your eyes and see? You, by not believing and not aiding, by splitting wizarding kind for him, help him to take over, one might "accidentally" think that you were one of his." Harry said, still ignoring the Minister.  
  
"Harry has the truth of it, you are helping him Minister. Now if we can get back to business." Sirius looked to Albus, "about the remaining students from the Irish School of Sorcery?"  
  
"Yes, fifty six transferring here, the school was rebuilt, but many have left. Besides them we have fourteen from other schools, making seventy in all. Hogwarts will have to be expanded; there are spells on it to make it possible. We could easily fit in three and a half thousand students, we just need helpers for the teachers."  
  
"Yes, Beatrice Kalion has volunteered to help out as a Transfiguration teacher, Gar Zimmeri for Charms, Plata Walkins for History, Sandra Marble for Astronomy, Geoffrey Hemtleburn for Care of Magical Creatures since Remus and Hagrid will not be here full time, Dirk McDiamond for Defense, he's excellent with hexes and self-defense spells, and Caitlin Snape for Potions. No one for Divination, too bad." Miranda said, looking over Harry's report. Harry listened carefully, he'd known Snape was married, it was on his records, and he hoped she wouldn't be as horrible as Severus was. More transfers, he'd better start learning more languages, English, Russian, German, Icelandic, Dutch, Spanish, French, and Chinese might not be enough. Then again Ron was turning into a very good linguist, so was Draco, they both knew the same ones he did, as well as Japanese, Arabic, Bulgarian, Middle Egyptian, Modern Greek, Italian and Hawaiian. All the Marauders had entered a language program that had started at Hogwarts two months before, and they'd been teaching themselves languages since a month before the end of last year with the aid of language learning spells.  
  
"We'll need translators, these kids come from everywhere, they'll all get quick courses in English, but they'll need help, it takes longer to learn to read and write a new language with magical aid than it does to learn to speak it." Remus said.  
  
"My friends and I have been teaching ourselves new languages since the new school year started, we'll help." Sirius and Remus grinned at him, they both knew about the new Marauders and had asked Harry to keep them updated on all their activities.  
  
"Thanks, that'll be a great help, do any of you know Mongolian?" Miranda asked.  
  
"Ira started on it three days ago."  
  
"What about Russian?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
German?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Arabic?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Um… we've got a new student who speaks Turkish?"  
  
"Draco is currently working on it." Harry didn't add that Draco was having trouble with this one. They all seemed rather impressed and thanked Harry.  
  
More students for them to get likely killers from Harry's head snapped around to Jemima.  
  
"Miss Pins that blocking spell appears to have worn off, could you please renew it? And no, the recruits are not killers."  
  
The meeting continued, Jemima seemed unable to keep her blocking spell up, nor could the Minister. When ever someone addressed Sirius as Lord Phoenix the Minister got mad, when the problem of getting rid of death eaters prisoners came up the Minister thought out a detailed image of a dementor sucking the life out of someone, Harry felt like vomiting. Jemima wasn't much better, she was constantly thinking up very unkind things about everyone there.  
  
Worthless mercenaries and maniacs all of them  
  
"Miss Pins I assure you none one here is a mercenary and all of us are sane."  
  
A few minutes later Hooligans think this is all a lot of fun I bet  
  
"Miss Pins!" This time Harry WAS angry. "Kindly keep such thoughts to yourself.  
  
Dratted little whimp  
  
"Minister please, that is rather rude."  
  
Doesn't even know one plus one  
  
"One plus one is two, happy?"  
  
Shut the hell up you brat!   
  
"I'll shut up if you quit thinking so loudly, just think quietly and I won't hear it."  
  
Your all loony, crazy, mad! Murderers all! No decency in you, you all deserve to die. You're useless! Deranged! You don't deserve to be part of society; you poison people's minds against Cornelius, their REAL leader! This from Jemima.  
  
Trying to take over the Ministry are you? I'll beat you yet! This from the Minister. Then came a horrible image of all of the Order standing on a dark field, waiting in chains while dementors sucked out their souls, the graphic detail was too much. The pits that should have been eyes, the toothless mouths, the dry rattling breath, the cold, the stink of decay, the bony hands with the flesh hanging off. Harry stood up so fast he overturned his chair.  
  
"Minister you have a sick mind! SICK! SICK! SICK! That was the most horrible, disgusting, utterly revolting mental image…" Harry's voice trailed of as he left the room and the door shut behind him.  
  
**  
  
A half hour later the Order went out into Dumbledore's office, the Minister and Jemima Pins left through the fire, leaving Greg to watch the Order for another half hour then return to the Ministry. Harry was sitting in a chair, head in his hands, so pale his skin was nearly transparent.  
  
"Harry? Are you okay, what was that image?" Miranda asked him, Harry looked up, and he looked sick. He described the scene in horribly vivid detail, they all looked a little pale and many revolted as they left. Besides those who had witnessed a dementor's kiss being preformed Harry was the only "living" person who had seen a dementor's face, and he had certainly seen it better than anyone else. The Minister's image brought on horrid memories and thoughts, and he knew he'd have nightmares that night.  
  
"Sorry about that. He really doesn't have much control, nor does that miss perfect princess Jemima, horrid woman. Working with them is hard enough, never mind having the read their thoughts." Harry glanced up at Greg, no Greg was most certainly NOT loyal to the Minister, infact Harry, when he tried, could sense the telepathic link to the Phoenix that every Order member had, Greg was one of the spies, working undercover in the Ministry.  
  
Sirius had been enraged with the Minister, both with his words, thoughts, and all the insults he and Jemima Pins had managed to piled on after Harry had left, anyhow the Minister lost support and respect after that meeting, the press hit him hard with all sorts of stories and insults. As the truth about the Minister came out more and more of his former supporters were swayed to the Order's cause. The meeting he had planned on to help him bring down the Order did the opposite, it strengthened it. This meeting was, in later years, called just the latest in a long list of the biggest mistakes of his career, though that career was just a gigantic chain of big mistakes in all. 


	19. Chapter 19 A Warning of Danger to Come

Thank you all for reviewing!  
  
This chapter may be a bit boring, or maybe not. I just needed to build up to the chapter after this one.  
  
  
  
Chapter 19 A Warning of Danger  
  
*Damn, I'm going to be late* Harry hurried up the staircase and into the headmaster's office, through the secret door and into the meeting room. About half the people were there, he sat down, relieved.  
  
"Firstly, Harry you'll need to call your spies back in, we received news this morning that Voldemort is getting suspicious and testing his snake's loyalty." Sarlan informed Harry as the meeting started, Harry nodded, it had only been a matter of time until this happened.  
  
"Secondly this meeting had better be short, there's word going about that Voldemort is planning to attack Beauxbatons this evening." Miranda said shortly, stepping out of the fire. She looked tired and her hair was wild.  
  
"The Patrols are already inside the school and ready. Two dragon will be arriving there to help shortly." Sirius assured her, Miranda frowned.  
  
"That's all well and good but the evacuations can't take lace, his death eaters are already in place, well hidden. I've called up the Copper Patrol, they and the Golds will get them out of hiding so I can only stay a while."  
  
"Albus? Your report?"  
  
"There are now seventy eight new students coming tomorrow." Dumbledore said, he was working over a parchment trying to organize all the new students and where they came from.  
  
"Yesterday two students at The Everest Academy of Magic were brutally murdered while hiking down into Nepal from the school." Mundungus added, his patrol had been stationed near K2 after a recent death eater sighting and so they had most of the mountain range.  
  
"At the second annual Ministries & School Committees convention a plan was put forth to keep students in schooling until eighteen instead of seventeen, on the basis that they needed more training to have any chance of safety. It's hard to find a place in today's world, too much disorder, fear, and very little trust among magic folk." Sirius added, Harry wasn't surprised. Hermione had voiced the thought that this might happen; the Marauders had done a little research and found that the rule of graduating at seventeen had only started three hundred years ago, before that it had been nineteen.  
  
"At the convention it was decided that all schools should have enough room underground for everyone to stay for up to five days incase of an attack. We'll have to start work on that everywhere, the schools will want our advice." Chemerti Master of Defenses added, his department took care of such things; he was a tall man with cool eyes and a nearly expressionless face who always seemed to be watching for a strategic fighting ground in case he was attacked. Harry made a mental note to construct a secret passage into these new rooms underground, through such a passage students could be smuggled in and out, so could fighters and supplies. Dumbledore seemed to share his thoughts.  
  
"Harry once these rooms are done we'll need a secret passage or two into them. They'll need to be strategically placed and hidden, can you do that?"  
  
"Yes," Harry's mind was already whirling with ideas.  
  
"Caitlin? Anything on how Voldemort is doing?" Caitlin was part of the spy department; she was a master of disguise and sometimes entered Voldemort's ranks, disguised as a dementor or novice death eater, since she, like Severus, had been a death eater (only for two months, and she'd been forced into that) she had the dark mark to aid her.  
  
"No, the defenses have gone on ultra strong since his "illness". There were chuckles and smiles all around, "he's mad as all hell, but too weak to do a thing, he's slipping in and out of a comma.  
  
"Perhaps we ought to send him a get well card." Harry commented, there was a brief silence, then more chuckles and agreement.  
  
"Yes, a nice get well card with, oh…a couple curses on it? Maybe a spell so that when he opens it leeches or flesh-eating mice come pouring out? Or maybe acid." Sirius said, smiling.  
  
"I was thinking more along the lines of a scrying spell and a linking spell so that I could drain off more of his power into the Dark Stone while he's so weak." Harry said, Sirius nodded in approval.  
  
"I'll set up the spells, but you'll have to do the stone work."  
  
"Until then we have no way of knowing his moves." Mundungus muttered unhappily.  
  
"Harry could try to See in the fire again." Sirius commented rather shortly, the news about not knowing Voldemort's moves was irritating to all of them. Harry looked into the huge candle burning merrily in the center of the table. "Hey…I didn't really mean that!" Sirius said, noticing Harry's eyes turning pale and unfocusing, the pupils widening until almost no white showed. But Harry was already gone into that other world where he could See the future, the past, and the present.  
  
For how long he sat like that, in perfect silence, barely breathing, no one knew, then finally he gasped and sat back hard, raising his hands he rubbed his temples and shuddered.  
  
"Harry? What did you see? What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing. I didn't See anything. But what I smelled!"  
  
"What was that?" Miranda asked softly. Harry's eyes went pale again.  
  
"Fear, the air reeked of it. Millions of people terrified, the fear was so thick I could barely breathe. And the blood! The ground was covered three inches deep in it, and the grass was red and the earth soggy from it. Fire, a whirlwind of fire, attacking. A semi-transparent dragon…huge…that bled silver mist. What kind of creature bleeds water? Or liquid fire? What type of creature's blood is really just soil? An ancient menace, and hunger, a hunger to fight and to kill, I could think of nothing but killing these creatures…the school was encased in solid rock in one vision…" He trailed off, his eyes wide and staring.  
  
"Did you hear anything?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Only one thing, the battle song."  
  
"What battle song?" Sirius asked, Harry rose and walked over to the window, his hands clasped behind his back, his face pale and his eyes still pale green and wide. He looked up into the sky and they could hear thunder on the horizon, a rush of warm wet air rolled in, thick with the scent of lightning, Harry's hair whipped about and his cloak swirled, for a moment they could see an odd glow about him, then he bowed his head and it faded. When he spoke they could barely make out what he said.  
  
"The Elementals have awakened for a fiftieth attempt, and we… we have one Royal Aaron where six once flew. But the Legend reads true, the Royal Aarons must fly, when the Elementals are in the sky. Or the world and the entire solar system shall perish. They must not be released into the galaxy, in the old times the Royal Aarons and their helpers would defend the world…but I am the only one left… and no more will hatch for years… they will be to late this time…the Elementals will be free…but they will not bring Armageddon, not while I live." The Council listened in silence and awe, utterly confused.  
  
"Harry? What are you saying? What did you hear?" Harry turned slowly back to them, his eyes were fixed and hard, but he wasn't looking at them, he was elsewhere.  
  
"The battle song of the Royal Aarons." He finally replied. A gasp went up, Harry took one last look out the window and frowned, as if in answer the thunder abruptly ceased.  
  
He returned to his seat and sat, his head in his hands.  
  
"What were you talking about?" Dumbledore asked him.  
  
"Talking about? I just said that I had heard the battle cry of the Royal Aarons, that's all." They all stared at him, then his eyes went wide. "What else did I say?"  
  
"Some things about the Elementals coming, and there being one Royal Aaron where six one flew." Miranda supplied  
  
"What?"  
  
That's what you said."  
  
"Grrrrrr, and I have absolutely not a clue as to what that means." He sat back and didn't say a word for the rest of the meeting, not even when Sarlan came in through the fire, he looked very angry and his robes were damp as if he'd been walking in the rain. Behind him came one of his spies whom Harry had never seen before.  
  
"Lord Phoenix! The convention has been extended for an extra day. The English Ministry is going to try and remove Fudge. All the countries have heard of our meeting, and the press has been working on stop against him, it should work with the support of all the other ministries."  
  
"And they told us nothing of this?" Sirius growled.  
  
"No Lord Phoenix, they did think it nessecary."  
  
"Fools." Miranda said scornfully, she got up, checked her watched and left to go join her patrol.  
  
"Arthur Weasely is now head of his department, and has gained great power. He is in a good position to become the next Minister. Please check up on that possibility.  
  
"I wonder if he will succeed?" Dumbledore mused. He glanced at Harry, who appeared ot have tuned out. "Harry could you go tell the prefects that are still in the castle that there will be a meeting tomorrow evening? And ask them to pass the word along the those that are not here?" Harry simple nodded and left.  
  
"Sarlan we just had a very odd, and terrifying conversation with Harry…" Sirius began, hoping the Spy Master might know something. 


	20. Chapter 20 Waiting

Chapter 20 Waiting  
  
If you were to look at Hogwarts school, just as the first edge of the sun was touching the horizon on the evening before Christmas vacation ended your eyes would have been caught by a figure atop on of the towers.  
  
Cloak whipping about in the wind Harry stood, gazing northwest, he tilted his head back and smelled the wind, all senses on alert. Behind him a man riding on the back of a phoenix landed silently on the tower top. The phoenix shrank back to normal size and landed on its master's shoulder. Vaguely Harry knew that Sirius was behind him, standing silently watching him. He heard the rustle of a cloak as the other moved forward and felt a hand descend on his shoulder.  
  
"What are you searching for Harry?" Harry ignored him for a moment, searching the mountains beyond the forest, smelling the wind and listening, but nothing came, except for the wind the early evening was undisturbed.  
  
"I do not know…yes I do…my ancient enemies will be hear soon, and I know nothing of them…and they a lot about me."  
  
Sirius Black, the Lord Phoenix watched his godson carefully. Harry had an unusually strong mind that was normally completely closed behind powerful walls, but now those walls were thin and weak. And through them he could sense an overwhelming fear. Another gust of air blew past and he felt Harry shudder and he realized that Harry wasn't scared, he was terrified.  
  
"Why are you so scared?" He asked gently, Harry had said nothing about this menace since the Order meeting yesterday, with the students coming back to school this evening, the new transfers, classes, and Quidditch he hoped that Harry might forget about it for a while, but now that seemed unlikely.  
  
"I do not know. If there were others…other Royal Aarons…they could tell me…but they are gone…and I must stand alone. If what I said yesterday was true then there is some kind of creature, a bunch of them…about to attack. In days gone by the Royal Aarons would have fought these creatures and kept the world, and entire galaxy, again only if that was a real prediction, safe…but they are all gone…and one cannot fight them alone. There was a reason there were always six…it was because one could not handle them all. I do not know what is going to happen, but danger is near, death and destruction, many times worse than Voldemort…" He trailed off, then the whistle of the incoming Hogwarts express sounded and his head snapped up.  
  
"Where will they come from?" Sirius asked.  
  
"The northwest, I think." But though Harry was watching the train Sirius could still sense the fear in his mind, being kept firmly in check, and he sensed hi godson wouldn't or couldn't tell him anything more.  
  
"Well I have to go, take care of yourself Harry, and make sure to get plenty of sleep, when these things come I'll call in the Order to help." Harry didn't move. Sirius gave his shoulder a squeeze and turned, he took two steps and leaped off the roof to land on Raslith's back, they flew off, leaving Harry to watch the train come in.  
  
The great hall was buzzing with talk, everyone was eager to meet the transfer students. Finally McGonagal came in leading seventy-eight new students. The great hall had been enlarged, everything had. The tables were longer, wider, and the hall was more brightly lit. The huge Hogwarts seal on the wall began to move as al the animals came alive; it had been enchanted just for this occasion. The new students were sorted like the others had been, Gryffindor got nine new sixth years, two first years, six second years, seven third years, one fourth year, four fifth years, and two seventh years. 31 new students in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw got 23, Hufflepuff got 16 and Slytherin 8.  
  
That evening everyone gathered in Gryffindor common room, which had been much expanded, to meet the new students. Harry joined a group by the fire listening to a third year named Calvin tell of the death eater attack on his school.  
  
"Those dementors, I tell you they're the living dead! The air went all cold, weird sounds started in our heads, the teachers were shooting huge silver things out of their wands, and it wasn't doing much good. And then there was he-who-must-not-be-named, he was there himself!" Astonished gasps went up form the score or so of students listening. "he must have been at least eight feet tall, with gigantic silted red eyes, and teeth like a vampire!"  
  
"He must have grown and had a facial." Harry commented loudly, Calvin turned to him, angry at anyone for interrupting his story.  
  
"It's true! I should know I saw him!"  
  
"So have I, and I happen to know that he's only 6'8", and his teeth are in place, well most of them, and none are like that, I should know, I broke three or four of them."  
  
"How the hell would you know all this?"  
  
"I've had quiet a few conversations with him, old Tommy, that's his name, just gets stranger and stranger, but he's not that far off, not yet. And he's not human enough to become a vampire, though his eyes are red, and Calvin, here at Hogwarts we call him Voldemort, that is his name after all, no need to fear a name." Calvin started up angrily, but at that moment Ira came over.  
  
"Harry? Come here for a sec, we need your help with this." Harry stood, a light breeze blew the hair that had been covering his scar away, he hadn't tied it back today, everyone around him gasped, Calvin's jaw dropped open. Harry followed Ira to where Ron and Hermione were waiting, behind him he could hear whispering.  
  
"Oh my god, that's Harry Potter! Oh no! I was arguing with him! Damn it, of course he'd know what, what…Voldemort…looks like! Oh I am so stupid!" Harry suppressed a grimace.  
  
"What's up?" He asked Ron, Ron looked into the crowd, not answering, Harry concentrated and the wall in Ron's mind dropped.  
  
Harry? Harry nodded a little. Those two twins over there, the girls with the blonde hair with sparkly purple locks on both sides of their faces, and gray-green eyes, slightly pointed noses? They're the McKinnon twins! Voldemort held their mother under an imperius curse and forced her and their father to work for him, just before he fell, he killed their mum. They have an older brother who's in Slytherin! Harry nodded and left Ron's mind, the blocking spell closed behind him. He gritted his teeth, after hours and hours he'd figured out how to ignore peoples thoughts, but not for this long.  
  
"I'm going to bed guys, can you handle all this?"  
  
"Sure." Hermione said, Ron nodded, Harry walked off up to his dorms. Tomorrow all the students would have a review of the mind-blocking spell so hopefully most of this would stop.  
  
**  
  
A week had passed, and Harry's fear grew, very time he glanced to the northwest it flooded him. He started having dreams of the battle song of the Royal Aaron. Images of six Royal Aarons in flight, but everything blurred before he could see their opponents. He hadn't walked the dream world in so long he'd forgotten how to control his dreams, but eh quickly found that these dreams he could not control, that part of him that was a dream walker was gone. From his dreams he did manage to figure out about where the other Royal Aarons were…dead. They had been killed, betrayed by those they had tried to save. Killed while they were still injured from suppressing an especially large batch of these…Elemental, if his prediction was correct. But before they had died the three females had each laid an egg. From these would come other Royal Aarons, hopefully in time to help him…but Harry knew that they wouldn't arrive in time. It would him and the Elementals, one Royal Aaron where the flight of six had once fought. And he was scared, terrified, because he didn't now when, he didn't know where, and he didn't know how many there would be, all he knew was that he had to fight them when they came. *In the old times the Royal Aarons kept track of how many of the Elemental lived to reproduce so that they would know how many there would be each time, but they all died and that knowledge with them…as well as the fighting tactics used.* Harry thought as he waited at a prefect meeting for the others to arrive.  
  
Once they finally did McGonagal got them quiet and began.  
  
"Now everyone, we have word that sometime soon Hogwarts may be attacked." Gasps all around. "And not by Voldemort."  
  
"By who them?" Ron asked.  
  
"By…well we don't know really what they are. They don't appear very often, usually they are fought off…but this time that might not work. The creatures that used to fight them off are all dead…but one, and one can't take the place of six. What we need ot do is to protect the school." McGonagal said uncertainly.  
  
"With what?" Was the general response.  
  
"The Order will be building an encasement of stone about the school, we'll be able to call it up with a spell when these things come. We'll need your cooperation to keep students out of their way."  
  
"You can count on us professor!" Hermione said, looking proud, Harry, glancing out the window, felt another wave of sickening fear.  
  
  
  
Is it good?  
  
Sorry it was so short, next one will be longer! I promise!  
  
Review! I LOVE reading reviews! (Besides ones written by freaks of nature like Borg) Helpful ideas always welcome, no flames please. If you know Borg's email tell me so I can send hate mail.  
  
  
  
Borg you are a LOSER of the First order! I am Not perverting JKR's books! You can go kiss my cat's furry little orange butt and keep your comments to yourself! You are the ultimate proof that evolution CAN work in reverse! If you don't have anything halfway nice to say you shouldn't say anything at all. I noticed You haven't written anything! (and if you did it wouldn't be decent to read, what with your deranged mind!) Go rot in hell, maybe Voldemort will ask you to join the death eaters to replace wormtail as his whipping boy! (or is it girl? Never mind your genderless as far as the rest of universe is concerned!) 


	21. Chapter 21 A Taste of Betrayal

Chapter 21 A Taste of Betrayal  
  
Harry was woken up from an uneasy sleep by the sound of Dumbledore voice roaring through the school.  
  
"ALL STUDENTS ASSEMBLE IN THE GREAT HALL AT ONCE!!! THERE HAS BEN A MURDER OF A STUDENT BY A STUDENT AND I MEAN TO FIND OUT WHO IT IS, DO NOT TRY TO STAY IN YOUR DORM, IT WON'T WORK, ASSEMBLE IN THE GREAT HALL NOW!!!" Harry was up, dressed, and down the stairs like greased lightning. In the great hall he did a double take, then walked up a bit nearer to the teachers table and stopped, half hidden in the shadows.  
  
The teachers were standing behind the table; the look on Dumbledore's face was so murderous and enraged that Harry was careful to avoid him. On the table, in a crumpled heap, lay a fourth year girl. Harry recognized her as the best friend of the McKinnon twins. She was a member of Ravenclaw and not one of the transfers. Slowly the school assembled, Dumbledore beckoned Harry over.  
  
"Harry I want you to search every mind here for the killer, it had to have been someone inside the school, the killing curse was done by a person between 15-17, search them all Harry, we need to know. When you do find a likely mind give all the names to Severus, he'll tell me and we'll put them under a truth spell or potion for questioning." Harry nodded and ducked back into a small alcove that appeared in the wall where he sat down, Snape stood to the side; Harry did the invisibility spell and began.  
  
The whole school was seated in chairs in rows and made to stay there. Harry started with the first row and worked his way back. Invisible he got up and walked among the students, careful not to bump anyone, seeking.  
  
Who would have done this? No move on.  
  
Oh my god, oh my god, nowhere is safe from Voldemort! No.  
  
What if they say it was me? I was just going to the bathroom! Didn't hear anything, but I was up, oh no. Nope.  
  
She's just a little girl, 3rd or 4th year! How could anyone dot hat? No.  
  
I've never seen anyone look so mad, no wonder Voldemort fears Dumbledore. Why would anyone do this? No.  
  
How could any student kill another? No.  
  
They must have been drunk or insane, how did she die? No  
  
Melinda! No, not Melinda, please say she's still alive, no. Nope.  
  
Damn whoever did this for al eternity! Killing a child? That just horrid! Definitely not.  
  
Harry continued for a half hour, as the students grew more and more restless, then, to distract them Dumbledore began to talk, quietly but with anger in his voice.  
  
"We've examined her, she was killed around midnight by the Killing Curse. The person who killed her was a student, we can tell because 1 he was in the school, and 2 he, yes he, was 15-17 year old. An Order Patrol discovered her right here on the table. If anyone knows anything please come forward." No one moved, Harry was growing tired. Then he got something.  
  
He'll never guess who it was, they can't know. Harry marked this person as 7th year Rhal McKinnon and moved on.  
  
After two hours Harry went back to the alcove and thought it over. Three suspects. Rhal McKinnon, Simon Bersely, and Jan Shororo. All in seventh year, Rhal in Slytherin, Jan in Slytherin, Simon in Hufflepuff. He went out on a final search  
  
Hah! Old weakling doesn't have a clue, he's cared stiff, and of me, just an ickle 7th year! Hah, my lord will be proud. This from Rhal, Harry was satisfied but went to the others anyway.  
  
How could anyone? Look at her friends crying, how could anyone do that? Mentally Harry scratched Simon off the list.  
  
That poor, poor thing, I wonder if she even knew what hit her? There went Jan as well.  
  
He returned and whispered to Snape "Rhal McKinnon murdered her."  
  
"Are you sure?" It was barely audible, and Snape lips didn't move.  
  
"Positive, he thinks his Lord will be proud, is that enough?"  
  
"I didn't think death eaters were recruited that young."  
  
"I guess they've changed, Rhal thinks we'll never guess, and that Albus is scared stiff of having a murderer in the castle, and he prides himself in being that murderer." Snape's eyes flickered with anger, "his mind is absolutely disgusting to look in so could I possible be absent from any interrogation?" Snape may not have heard, or he didn't answer, he went over to Dumbledore. Harry went to the back of the hall and entered again, he silently slipped into an extra chair in the third row without anyone noticing due to a momentary zone-out spell.  
  
"Headmaster I have the results of the search. The murderer has been pinpointed. Our original guess of a seventh year was correct." There were murmurs and gasps, everyone regarded the seventh years with suspicion. "Would Rhal McKinnon please come forward?"  
  
He didn't have a choice, two order members grabbed him and dragged him forward to stand beside his victim, and Harry listened to his thoughts.  
  
How? How? Why? What are they going to do? They'll kill me! Somebody help! Where's my lord? I did my job where is he? Nnooooo! Harry gave Dumbledore a nod, it was Rhal McKinnon.  
  
"Rhal did you kill Melinda?" Dumbledore asked, his voice deadly.  
  
"I-I."  
  
"Did you? Truthatus!" The spell hit Rhal as he struggled for freedom.  
  
"Yes, yes, I put under the imperius curse so she would come here, I made her wait until I could sneak out then I killed her, my lord will be proud, he will reward me for my good work. He'll kill you all." Rhal looked horrified at what was coming out of his mouth. There was a long, pause, his shoulders slumped in defeat, then the McKinnon twins stood and ran down beside him.  
  
Janice McKinnon reached up and with all her strength smacked her brother across the face, Pearl McKinnon kicked his shin as hard as she could.  
  
"You traitor! Your rotten traitor! How could you join him? HOW? HE KILLED OUT MOTHER, TRAITOR! I'LL KILL YOU!" Pearl screamed at him, drawing her wand, Janice already had hers out and raised it.  
  
"Avada Ked-"  
  
"NO!" The entire hall turned, Harry was on his feet.  
  
"Janice listen to me, if you kill him you will be no better than he is. Do you want to be like them? Let him go…he will be punished enough." Pearl raised her wand. "Pearl he killed your best friend, must you go his way and kill as well?" Harry pleaded softly. Slowly both girls lowered their wands, and then burst into tears. Harry stood and hurried to their side; kneeling down beside them he put an arm around each of them. Janice threw her arms about his neck and cried into his shoulder, Pearl just slumped to the floor against his knee, head in her hands, sobbing. Hermione hurried up and knelt beside her, soon they help the two girls up and left the hall with them, Ron followed, picking up the two wands, which had been dropped onto the floor. The door closed behind them with a soft thud.  
  
  
  
Sad I know, well please review as always! 


	22. Chapter 22 A Plan to Go On & A Few Laugh...

1 Chapter 22 A Plan to Go On & A Few Laughs Along the Way  
  
AN: Hope you like Monty python! Enjoy and please review!  
  
Due to the fact that they were prefects and friends of nearly everyone in the entire school and regarded as the supportive backbone of the school no one thought anything amiss when Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't show up until lunch, at which point Ron came downstairs to get lunch for the five of them. The other Gryffindors, as a sign of support for their fellows went to their common room for a huge group lunch. Late that evening Harry and Hermione went to the prefects & staff meeting, leaving Ron with the two girls.  
  
"Harry what is happening with the twins? Are they okay? Their father would like them to come home for a few days if it would help them." Dumbledore said, Harry couldn't restrain a huge yawn that elicited grins from everyone before answering.  
  
"They're about as tired as I am, cried for most of the morning, stopped long enough to ask a few questions of what was going on, school work, what would happen to their brother, and about the death eaters. I answered them as best I could, poor things are more cut up over their friend than brother, apparently there was never any love lost between them."  
  
"Alright, I'd like to talk to them tomorrow evening if they're up to it."  
  
"Okay, what is happening to that sonofa *****?" There were a few gasps around the room at this and the teachers scowled.  
  
"He's been taken to court, not that much of a trial is needed." Dumbledore said, he lowered the blocking spell momentarily and Harry heard him clearly.  
  
You won't have to testify so don't worry. He admitted to it. "The girl was sent home for burial, there'll be a funeral in two days here and here. The twins will be able to choose which they will attend."  
  
"We have other maters to discuss." Harry said with a displeased frown. "Voldemort got one supporter, though he was a transfer from…Durmstrang I think? Either way his school was attacked at some point, or he saw an attack, and one of his friends was killed. He may have been impressed with Voldemort's power and decided to join because of it. Not that Voldemort has much power lately, but it's coming back. Worse luck for us. Prof. Snape what is, or was, the youngest age at which a person could join the death eaters?" Snape flinched but answered.  
  
"Twenty originally, but as those over twenty got smarter, or scarcer as they joined the Order or put up a good fight, inspiration from you Harry, most prisoners make a practice of spitting in his face…as my wife heard it last. But he will always attract some, the weak, the cowardly, the confused, the angry, the insane. The age is now probably anyone above fourteen." This caused gasps of horror, Harry betrayed none of his thoughts and looked impassive.  
  
"This must be counteracted, but what should we do?" McGonagal said in horror, Harry took his cue from her words as if it had been planned, his voice exploding across the suddenly silent room, speaking as the words formed in his mind and putting all the force he could into them.  
  
"This is a school! What should we do? What should come naturally? Teach! Educate them! Teach them what is happening, educate every student on what is really happening! This is a school, teach them the dangers of being a death eater, the pain and fear, and they will turn away. Tell them the tortures death eaters go through, the conditions they live under, the acts they commit, give them the horrid details, it will only strengthen them. They trust you and are accustomed to learning here, they trust you to teach them, not just magic but what to do and what not to do, they expect to learn, so let them learn! " Everyone burst into applause and finally died out, Dumbledore was beaming at Harry with respect and delight.  
  
"Harry that is perfect. There's to be a meeting of the directors and staff of all the magic teaching schools this Friday, two prefects from each school will be allowed to attend, I would like you to come and tell everyone your idea."  
  
"I would be honored headmaster." Harry replied calmly and simply, completely at odds with his persuasive, exuberant, aggressive, convincing speech a few seconds before. To his surprise everyone was smiling at him, even Snape.  
  
**  
  
Harry did very little to prepare for the meeting. He had it all worked out and so could turn his attention to school, quidditch, the Elementals, and Voldemort. Of the Elementals there was a growing readiness to fight and kill, he got angry easily and began to fight with unusual power and strength. He no longer fought with his friends, too afraid he would hurt them, he fought only with the fake person he had made, and fought at a level that was utterly unmatchable by anything he'd done before. His friends commented that they couldn't see his sword anymore, and that, like a true Lightdancer, as he fought the light flashed off his blade until he seemed to slice the very air apart and send its colors swirling about him. He was a part of the light, a deadly part, yet a beautiful magical part.  
  
He could find no information about the Elementals, which was surprising since their last attack had been only five hundred years ago. But nothing existed because the wizards weren't privy to any information about it. Harry's fear was still there, but now it poured energy into him and power, as people in the halls remarked to him he "positively radiated power to all around him like the sun did energy." Or "his presence was utterly un- ignorable just because of the sheer amount of personality and power into everyone's mind." His friends commented that, contrary to the fighting instincts of a Royal Aaron that was raging inside he seemed to glow with calm power, but all could sense danger and Harry found that everyone looked to him in awe when it was announced that he and Hermione would be going to the meeting. But it was not all power and calm for Harry, his senses had gone on ultra alert mode and he was hard put to keep back the power and to stop himself from transforming, resisting the urge to fight constantly or to meditate to a point where he was in a self-induced coma.  
  
Of Voldemort there was news, bad news. He was recovering rapidly and so was his apprentice. He were gathering their followers about him, recruiting others ot continue terrorist activities everywhere to keep the Order busy. "Run ragged," was what Sirius called it, vampires, trolls, mesmerds, death eaters, a few Spidren and some snakes were with him and aiding him. Abroad vampires and river trolls (the smartest kind), all with the dark mark, were fighting for him. Seven dead in two days and twenty injured, ten left homeless, one Order member dead, two inured. Harry tried and tried to help, going on any patrol he was allowed on, sending his snakes about, trying to See anything of use in fires, and he tired. But he knew his efforts made a difference and were very much appreciated. He even told a reporter that the Order was a little tired but ready for action. He also gave out the news of Voldemort's apprentice to everyone when Sirius asked him to.  
  
Quidditch was going well, Harry spent two hours a day flying, flying standing on his broom, whirling and twisting like a snowboarder in the air or a gymnast in stunning maneuvers that left an ever growing crowd breathless. Flying calmed him and he only truly felt free in the air.  
  
"You fly so much, what do you get out of it? What happens to you that makes you enjoy it so much?" A new sixth year of Ravenclaw named Danielle asked him once.  
  
"It lets my mind free and lets my spirit loose to soar, I am only truly free when in flight." He answered as he landed lightly, sad to be back on the ground, but it was time for class. In the next quidditch match, Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw, Slytherin flattened Ravenclaw, unsure of whom to support the Marauders surprised their friend and came with green scarves and hats but sat near the Ravenclaw section. This left only the Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw and Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff, and then the Quidditch cup, Gryffindor was definitely in, and either Hufflepuff or Slytherin.  
  
Late on Friday afternoon Harry, Hermione, Dumbledore, Snape, Sprout, Figg, and the Purple patrol took a portkey to the meeting. They'd be back on Sunday evening.  
  
The meeting was in a huge building in America, in here was where the Ministries had their world-wide meetings, Warlocks conventions, and other such things. An aide led them down a pale green marble hallway, through a redwood door, and into a large lounge/gathering room. Couches and chairs sat around coffee tables, the carpet was deep red, tan, gold, and green, as were the couches. Each of them had their own room coming off the gathering room. Harry went into his; everything was light gray, deep green, white, and gold. There was a big four-poster bed and a wide window. A dresser with a mirror on it and a small table. Since he had two hours until the dinner banquet he did his homework and had a game of chess with Hermione while the professors watched on and laughed at their threats of pranks and counter threats and comments. Harry won, but not by much. Everyone seemed very relaxed, then the bell rang and everyone went to get dressed for the banquet.  
  
Harry glared venomously at the clothes he had to wear. Very elaborate dress robes, fit for a king. They were in deep green but he changed them to black, he left the gold ribbon, and embroidery alone. They weren't even really robes he thought; he and Hermione were wearing what appeared to be a version of their Marauder clothes. Black pants, not leather, with the fringe down the sides and the gold bead. Gold around the tops of black boots and gold beads on the boots like a lightning bolt. Black shirt with fringe and gold bead, black vest with fringe in a V, gold bead and all. Cape attached at each shoulder with a clasp upon which was the Hogwarts crest carved into the gold with colored filigree. The cape was black with a gold underside and gold fringe along the bottom edge. The sleeves of the shirt were huge at the cuff, the opening long and hanging, thrice as large as his wrist with gold around the edge. From the black and gold belt with its gold lightning bolt buckle he hung his gauntlets, black and his gold lightning bolt with the hidden knife inside, flattened, it would spring up straight and ready to cut when he flicked his hand just right. He loosely tied his hair back with a black strip of leather and put in his single earring, a tiny gold ring with a gold lightning bolt carved on it in his left ear. He removed the hidden knives and discs from his boots and sleeves; it wouldn't do for him to go armed. He hid his wand up his sleeve and unattached the poisoned spikes on the heels of his boots and took the poison dart off the gold chain around his neck. He glanced in the mirror, his scar was a slightly pale gold and barely visible, hopefully it would stay that way.  
  
When he emerged most of the others were ready and waiting for only Prof. Sprout, his clothes raised a few eyebrows.  
  
"I thought you liked dark green." Dumbledore said in surprise, Harry frowned and glanced at him, he didn't look disapproving.  
  
"I like black better."  
  
"You did leave your…weapons…in your room didn't you?"  
  
"Yes sir, not that anyone would be able to tell I had them anyway."  
  
"Did you two put anything we should know about in the food?" This from a suspicious Professor Snape.  
  
"We should have, but we didn't, ahh, what a missed opportunity to show our skill huh Herm?"  
  
"Harry! You wouldn't dream of it."  
  
"Oh? And how would you know that pray? A most entertaining dream it was too, I've still got plenty of time."  
  
"Harry please."  
  
"Yes professor?"  
  
"J-just don't will you?"  
  
"Would that depend who I play the prank on?"  
  
"No, just don't."  
  
"You ruin my fun professor, everyone needs a few good laughs."  
  
"Not now Harry."  
  
"Not even to the other prefect here?"  
  
"That's no way to make friends."  
  
"Worked before."  
  
"And never again."  
  
"Maybe a play then? We've got a few done, harmless ones."  
  
"Opposed to the not-so-harmless?"  
  
"Opposed to the ones in which the professors are humiliated, you'll be seeing a few of those soon, but not now."  
  
"Harry really, what good could that possibly serve?"  
  
"What better way to relax people then to provide entertainment and a few laughs? What was the term used in the letter? Inter-school relationship building? Wouldn't everyone just love it if Hogwarts were to provide entertainment?"  
  
"With you doing it this might end up as a contest between prefects to see who can be the most entertaining."  
  
"Would that be bad?"  
  
"Not everyone has your…control…it might end up a war."  
  
"Nonsense, I'm talking about a few plays, and if I cold get some of the other prefect to help that would be good right? Right, therefore…"  
  
"Oh alright, go ahead, now?"  
  
"Yes indeed, I brought a few along, during desert."  
  
"Right then, I'll announce it after dinner, it had better be good."  
  
"Depends on the sense of humor, no need to worry I should think."  
  
"I'm going to trust you on that."  
  
"Good idea." At that moment the bell rang again and they set off, professor Dumbledore with great misgivings about allowing Harry to do this, but Harry was a good prankster, and he was trustworthy, and maybe it would work.  
  
Dinner was a splendid affair, buffet style, with many t tables. Schools were paired to sit, the Hogwarts contingent was sitting with the Snow Valley Alaskan School of Sorcery. Their headmaster was a friend of Dumbledore's. His name was Hakal Aringden, he was about 5'8" with short white hair and a white mustache. Harry and Hermione were introduced to Alex and Daphriene. Both were astonished to actually meet Harry potter, Harry ignored their frequent glances at his scar and managed to engage them in a conversation about secret passages in their school. The professors listened as the students compared notes about the quality, quantity, twitiness, height, length, and location of passages.  
  
"I bet Snow Valley has more secret passages then Hogwarts." Daphriene said.  
  
"Name your starting number." Harry said, jumping at the chance with a devilish grin.  
  
"Eight."  
  
"Ten."  
  
"Twelve."  
  
"Fifteen."  
  
"…Fifteen? We've only got twelve that I know of."  
  
"We've got seventeen actually, and nine hidden rooms, and one hidden staircase and four doors leading to puts into dungeons. Of course those pits are hard to find and easy to get out of. Actually I think that no one under fourth year is capable of seeing them. The third years walked right past and didn't notice anything, to them it would just be a bare room."  
  
"Cool. That must be fun."  
  
"Yeah, the passages were all run down, our friends, Hermione here and I have spent over a year trying to clean them up, and haven't made much progress." Just then the director of the closest magic school, Liberty Bell Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry, stood up at his table and everyone fell silent.  
  
"We are gathered here to trade ideas, plans, and to give support to those who have been attacked in these dark times. May the meetings go well!" He continued through a list of everyone there. When he got to Hogwarts the applause was tremendous, prefects names were announced after the applause but there was a smattering of applause as Harry's name was ready off. He did notice that it was his full name, Harry Emrys James Gryffindor Ambrosius Potter, and not just Harry Potter. He acknowledged the applause with a very slight inclination of his head; did this have to be so tedious?  
  
At the end of the dinner course Dumbledore stood up and called for silence, Harry and Hermione hurried to get set up on the blank wall at the back of the dining hall.  
  
"Excuse me everyone. My Prefects have asked permission to provide us with a little entertainment during desert. Is this acceptable with everyone?" There was a chorus of agreement and all eyes turned to the end of the hall where the two were. They stopped and headed back to their table. The wall turned black, then gold writing appeared.  
  
The following is a production of,  
  
The Hogwarts Magical Mischief Makers Inc.  
  
The Hogwarts Marauders are way too proud to present:  
  
Flying Sheep  
  
(A tourist approaches a shepherd. The sounds of sheep and the outdoors  
  
are heard.)  
  
Tourist: Good afternoon.  
  
Shephrd: Eh, 'tis that.  
  
Tourist: You here on holiday?  
  
Shephrd: Nope, I live 'ere.  
  
Tourist: Oh, good for you. Uh...those ARE sheep aren't they?  
  
Shephrd: Yeh.  
  
Tourist: Hmm, thought they were. Only, what are they doing up in the  
  
trees?  
  
Shephrd: A fair question and one that in recent weeks 'as been much on  
  
my mind. It's my considered opinion that they're nestin'.  
  
Tourist: Nesting?  
  
Shephrd: Aye.  
  
Tourist: Like birds?  
  
Shephrd: Exactly. It's my belief that these sheep are laborin' under  
  
the misapprehension that they're birds. Observe their be'avior.  
  
Take for a start the sheeps' tendency to 'op about the field  
  
on their 'ind legs. Now witness their attmpts to fly from  
  
tree to tree. Notice that they do not so much fly as...plummet.  
  
Baaa baaa... flap flap flap ... whoosh ... thud.  
  
Tourist: Yes, but why do they think they're birds?  
  
Shephrd: Another fair question. One thing is for sure, the sheep is not  
  
a creature of the air. They have enormous difficulty in the  
  
comparatively simple act of perchin'.  
  
Baaa baaa... flap flap flap ... whoosh ... thud.  
  
Trouble is, sheep are very dim. Once they get an idea in their  
  
'eads, there's no shiftin' it.  
  
Tourist: But where did they get the idea?  
  
Shephrd: From Harold. He's that most dangerous of creatures, a clever  
  
sheep. 'e's realized that a sheep's life consists of standin'  
  
around for a few months and then bein' eaten. And that's a  
  
depressing prospect for an ambitious sheep.  
  
Tourist: Well why don't just remove Harold?  
  
Shephrd: Because of the enormous commercial possibilities if 'e succeeds.  
  
  
  
(Picture of Hermione sitting behind a desk)  
  
Hermione: And now for something completely different.  
  
The Dead Parrot (Harry is customer and Ron the owner)  
  
A customer enters a pet shop.  
  
Customer: 'Ello, I wish to register a complaint.  
  
(The owner does not respond.)  
  
C: 'Ello, Miss?  
  
Owner: What do you mean "miss"?  
  
C: pause I'm sorry, I have a cold. I wish to make a complaint!  
  
O: We're closin' for lunch.  
  
C: Never mind that, my lad. I wish to complain about this parrot what I  
  
purchased not half an hour ago from this very boutique.  
  
O: Oh yes, the, uh, the Norwegian Blue...What's,uh...What's wrong with it?  
  
C: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's  
  
wrong with it!  
  
O: No, no, 'e's uh,...he's resting.  
  
C: Look, matey, I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I'm looking  
  
at one right now.  
  
O: No no he's not dead, he's, he's restin'! Remarkable bird, the Norwegian  
  
Blue, idn'it, ay? Beautiful plumage!  
  
C: The plumage don't enter into it. It's stone dead.  
  
O: Nononono, no, no! 'E's resting!  
  
C: All right then, if he's restin', I'll wake him up!  
  
(shouting at the cage)  
  
'Ello, Mister Polly Parrot! I've got a lovely fresh cuttle fish for you if  
  
you show...(owner hits the cage)  
  
O: There, he moved!  
  
C: No, he didn't, that was you hitting the cage!  
  
O: I never!!  
  
C: Yes, you did!  
  
O: I never, never did anything...  
  
C: (yelling and hitting the cage repeatedly) 'ELLO POLLY!!!!!  
  
Testing! Testing! Testing! Testing! This is your nine o'clock alarm call!  
  
(Takes parrot out of the cage and thumps its head on the counter. Throws it up  
  
in the air and watches it plummet to the floor.)  
  
C: Now that's what I call a dead parrot.  
  
O: No, no.....No, 'e's stunned!  
  
C: STUNNED?!?  
  
O: Yeah! You stunned him, just as he was wakin' up! Norwegian Blues  
  
stun easily, major.  
  
C: Um...now look...now look, mate, I've definitely 'ad enough of this.  
  
That parrot is definitely deceased, and when I purchased it not 'alf an hour  
  
ago, you assured me that its total lack of movement was due to it bein'  
  
tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk.  
  
O: Well, he's...he's, ah...probably pining for the fjords.  
  
C: PININ' for the FJORDS?!?!?!? What kind of talk is that?, look, why  
  
did he fall flat on his back the moment I got 'im home?  
  
O: The Norwegian Blue prefers keepin' on it's back! Remarkable bird, id'nit,  
  
squire? Lovely plumage!  
  
C: Look, I took the liberty of examining that parrot when I got it home,  
  
and I discovered the only reason that it had been sitting on its perch in  
  
the first place was that it had been NAILED there.  
  
(pause)  
  
O: Well, o'course it was nailed there! If I hadn't nailed that bird down,  
  
it would have nuzzled up to those bars, bent 'em apart with its beak, and  
  
VOOM! Feeweeweewee!  
  
C: "VOOM"?!? Mate, this bird wouldn't "voom" if you put four million volts  
  
through it! 'E's bleedin' demised!  
  
O: No no! 'E's pining!  
  
C: 'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased  
  
to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft  
  
of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch 'e'd be  
  
pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off  
  
the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run  
  
down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!!  
  
THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!!  
  
(pause)  
  
O: Well, I'd better replace it, then.  
  
(he takes a quick peek behind the counter)  
  
O: Sorry squire, I've had a look 'round the back of the shop, and uh, we're  
  
right out of parrots.  
  
C: I see. I see, I get the picture.  
  
O: pause I got a slug.  
  
(pause)  
  
C: Pray, does it talk?  
  
O: Nnnnot really.  
  
C: WELL IT'S HARDLY A BLOODY REPLACEMENT, IS IT?!!???!!?  
  
O: Well! I never wanted to do this in the first place. I wanted to be...  
  
A LUMBERJACK!  
  
(Hermione behind her desk again)  
  
Hermione: And now for something completely different.  
  
The Book Shop Sketch (Harry is owner Ira is customer)  
  
Customer: (entering the bookshop) Good morning.  
  
Proprietor (John Cleese): Good morning, sir. Can I help you?  
  
C: Er, yes. Do you have a copy of "Thirty Days in the Samarkind Desert with  
  
the Duchess of Kent" by A. E. J. Eliott, O.B.E.?  
  
P: Ah, well, I don't know the book, sir....  
  
C: Er, never mind, never mind. How about "A Hundred and One Ways to  
  
Start a Fight"?  
  
P: ...By?  
  
C: An Irish gentleman whose name eludes me for the moment.  
  
P: Ah, no, well we haven't got it in stock, sir....  
  
C: Oh, well, not to worry, not to worry. Can you help me with "David  
  
Coperfield"?  
  
P: Ah, yes, Dickens.  
  
C: No....  
  
P: (pause) I beg your pardon?  
  
C: No, Edmund Wells.  
  
O: I... *think* you'll find Charles Dickens wrote "David Copperfield", sir....  
  
C: No, no, Dickens wrote "David Copperfield" with *two* Ps. This is  
  
"David Coperfield" with *one* P by Edmund Wells.  
  
O: "David Coperfield" with one P?  
  
C: Yes, I should have said.  
  
O: Yes, well in that case we don't have it.  
  
C: (peering over counter) Funny, you've got a lot of books here....  
  
O: (slightly perturbed) Yes, we do, but we don't have "David Coperfield"  
  
with one P by Edmund Wells.  
  
C: Pity, it's more thorough than the Dickens.  
  
O: More THOROUGH?!?  
  
C: Yes...I wonder if it might be worth a look through all your "David Copper-  
  
field"s...  
  
O: No, sir, all our "David Copperfield"s have two P's.  
  
C: Are you quite sure?  
  
O: Quite.  
  
C: Not worth just looking?  
  
O: Definitely not.  
  
C: Oh...how 'bout "Grate Expectations"?  
  
O: Yes, well we have that....  
  
C: That's "G-R-A-T-E Expectations," also by Edmund Wells.  
  
O: (pause) Yes, well in that case we don't have it. We don't have anything  
  
by Edmund Wells, actually: he's not very popular.  
  
C: Not "Knickerless Knickleby"? That's K-N-I-C-K-E-R-L-E-S-S.  
  
O: (taciturn) No.  
  
C: "Khristmas Karol" with a K?  
  
O: (really quite perturbed) No....  
  
C: (moving towards door) Sorry to trouble you....  
  
O: Not at all....  
  
C: Good morning.  
  
O: Good morning.  
  
C: (turning around) Oh!  
  
O: (deep breath) Yesss?  
  
C: I wonder if you might have a copy of "Rarnaby Budge"?  
  
O: No, as I say, we're right out of Edmund Wells!  
  
C: No, not Edmund Wells - Charles Dikkens.  
  
O: (pause - eagerly) Charles Dickens??  
  
C: Yes.  
  
O: (excitedly) You mean "Barnaby Rudge"!  
  
C: No, "Rarnaby Budge" by Charles Dikkens. That's Dikkens with two Ks, the  
  
well-known Dutch author.  
  
O: (slight pause) No, well we don't have "Rarnaby Budge" by Charles Dikkens  
  
with two Ks, the well-known Dutch author, and perhaps to save time I  
  
should add that we don't have "Karnaby Fudge" by Darles Chickens, or  
  
"Farmer of Sludge" by Marles Pickens, or even "Stickwick Stapers" by Farles  
  
Wickens with four M's and a silent Q!!!!! Why don't you try W. H. Smith's?  
  
C: Ah did, They sent me here.  
  
O: DID they.  
  
C: Oh, I wonder...  
  
O: Oh, do go on, please.  
  
C: Yes...I wonder if you might have "The Amazing Adventures of Captain Gladys  
  
Stoutpamphlet and her Intrepid Spaniel Stig Amongst the Giant Pygmies of  
  
Beckles"...volume eight.  
  
O: (after a pause for recovery) No, we don't have that...funny, we've got a lot  
  
of books here...well, I musn't keep you standing here...thank you,--  
  
C: Oh, well do, do you have--  
  
O: No, we haven't. No, we haven't.  
  
C: B-b-b-but--  
  
O: Sorry, no, it's one o'clock now, we're  
  
closing for lunch--  
  
C: Ah, I--I saw it--  
  
O: I'm sorry--  
  
C: I saw it over there! I saw it...  
  
O: What? What? WHAT?!?  
  
C: I saw it over there: "Olsen's Standard Book of British Birds".  
  
O: (pause; trying to stay calm) "Olsen's Standard Book of British Birds"?  
  
C: Yes...  
  
O: O-L-S-E-N?  
  
C: Yes....  
  
O: B-I-R-D-S??  
  
C: Yes.....  
  
O: (beat) Yes, well, we do have that, as a matter of fact....  
  
C: The expurgated version....  
  
O: (pause; politely) I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that...?  
  
C: The expurgated version.  
  
O: (exploding) The EXPURGATED version of "Olsen's Standard Book of British  
  
Birds"?!?!?!?!?  
  
C: (desperately) The one without the gannet!  
  
O: The one without the gannet-!!! They've ALL got the gannet!! It's a  
  
Standard British Bird, the gannet, it's in all the books!!!  
  
C: (insistent) Well, I don't like them...they wet their nests.  
  
O: (furious) All right! I'll remove it!! (rrrip!) Any other birds you don't  
  
like?!  
  
C: I don't like the robin...  
  
O: (screaming) The robin! Right! The robin! (rrrip!) There you are, any  
  
others you don't like, any others?  
  
C: The nuthatch?  
  
O: Right! (flipping through the book) The nuthatch, the nuthatch, the  
  
nuthatch, 'ere we are! (rrriiip!) There you are! NO gannets, NO robins,  
  
NO nuthatches, THERE's your book!  
  
C: (indignant) I can't buy that! It's torn!  
  
O: (incoherent noise)  
  
C: Ah, I wonder if you have--  
  
O: God, ask me anything!! We got lots of books here, you know, it's a  
  
bookshop!!  
  
C: Er, how 'bout "Biggles Combs his Hair"?  
  
O: No, no, we don't have that one, funny!  
  
C: "The Gospel According to Charley Drake"?  
  
O: No, no, no, try me again!  
  
C: Ah...oh, I know! "Ethel the Aardvark goes Quantity Surveying".  
  
O: No, no, no, no, no,...What? WHAT??????  
  
C: "Ethel the Aardvark goes Quantity Surveying".  
  
O: "Ethel the Aa--" YES!!!YES!!! WE'VE GOT IT!! (throwing books wildly about)  
  
I-I've seen it somewhere!!! I know it!!! Hee hee hee hee hee!!! Ha ha hoo  
  
ho---WAIT!! WAIT!! Is it?? Is it??? (triumphant) YES!!!!!! Here we are,  
  
"Ethel the Aardvark goes Quantity Surveying"!!!!! There's your book!!  
  
(throwing it down) Now, BUY IT!!!  
  
C: (quickly) I don't have enough money.  
  
O: (desperate) I'll take a deposit!  
  
C: I don't have ANY money!  
  
O: I'll take a check!!  
  
C: I don't have a checkbook!  
  
O: I've got a blank one!!  
  
C: I don't have a bank account!!  
  
O: RIGHT!!!! I'll buy it FOR you! (ring) There we are, there's your change,  
  
there's some money for a taxi on the way home, there's your book, now, now..  
  
C: Wait, wait, wait!  
  
O: What? What?!? WHAT?!? WHAT???!!  
  
C: I can't read!!!  
  
O: (staggeringly long pause; very quietly) You can't...read. (pause) RIGHT!!!  
  
Sit down!! Sit down!! Sit!! Sit!! Are you sitting comfortably???  
  
Right!!! (opens book) "Ethel the Aardvark was hopping down the river valley  
  
one lovely morning, trottety-trottety-trottety, when she might a nice little  
  
quantity surveyor..." (fade out)  
  
Hermione at desk again: So long for now folks, hope you enjoyed our show, and beware of people sitting behind black desks saying "and now for something completely different" ta-ta! She waved and vanished, the wall went blank. Cheers were sounding everywhere and everyone was applauding madly. The entire room got to its feet, Harry and Hermione stood and bowed to everyone and waved happily.  
  
Nearly and hour later the Hogwarts group got back to their rooms. Everyone had wanted to compliment the two prefects and they'd had trouble getting away. Dumbledore was still chuckling, they'd had made quite an impression and everyone was pleased with their "entertainment," Harry immediately wrote a letter to the other Marauders telling them just how good their hard work had turn out. 


	23. Chapter 23 To Teach Them Truth In The Da...

1 Chapter 23 To Teach Them in the Darkness  
  
Harry was tired, he was excited, he was anxious, he was nervous, and he was prepared for a different kind of battle form what he had become so accustomed to, a different sort of battle form what his nerves and animal instinct screamed for. A battle of words against human minds.  
  
He'd woken up early, feeling a little giddy and nervous and spent the morning getting ready. Today he wore dark purple robes with gold and his black boots, his gloves tucked into the belt which was now dark purple. After several futile attempts to make his scar, which was glowing a little as a result of a death eaters meeting last night, stop glowing he gave up on it entirely and placed a small illusion charm on it so it wouldn't be as noticeable.  
  
Harry and Hermione followed the Professors to a huge meeting room. It looked like a large amphitheater, everything in deep red and purple velvet. The seats were large, soft and cushy and each had a tiny desk that you could flip up, rather like some muggle classrooms he'd seen. In the first lowest row were the directors of each school, behind them in a group were their professors and behind them the prefects. Harry and Hermione passed time by chatting with the two prefects from the Madrid School of Magic, and laughing over language mess-ups, thought Harry and Hermione could speak Spanish fluently the other two prefects were not all that good at English. Harry noticed the Order guards at the doors and around the walls, besides the Purple patrol the Red was here as well.  
  
The meeting began with the school directors talking about how many students they had, what defenses they had, and if they had seen anything. Those who came from schools that had been attacked gave advice on how to prepare for such an attack, if they had survived their own. The other staff members joined in the debates, and if a prefect came up with an idea they were allowed to voice it. The question of death eaters recruiting in the schools came up on its own. On many subjects, including this one, every person in the room was allowed to speak. As it happened the teacher from the Madrid School of Magic who spoke before Harry voiced the question. "What should we do? What can we do?" Harry stood when everyone's attention turned to him and without further pause spoke out boldly.  
  
"There are many courses of action open to us on this point, but most would be ineffective and an annoyance at best. All of those here are form schools, what's the natural response then? Teach! Educate the students about the danger, and the sheer stupidity of entering Voldemort's ranks. Give them anything we can to turn their minds away from him, he will lose support. I know that from Hogwarts we can give students Rhal McKinnon as an example, if there was one there will be others. If every school agreed and started the program we could severely cut into his ranks. Those who are death eaters and still in school would begin to doubt. We could put forth that student who is willing to ask for help and a second chance can do so, and it will be kept confidential so long as they never return. We could get useful information without risking the few spies we've got that way…if there are any who do want to turn back. Educate them! Until now no one but death eaters and a few Order members have known the exact conditions death eaters live under, the abuse by their lord, the constant fear of discovery, the tortures they suffer, the punishments….and give hope, give those who do wish a second chance hope that they can have one, that they can go back and be accepted, with certain precautions and restrictions. But most importantly show people what not to do, real life stories, pictures, give them all the gruesome detail. Human nature goes against such things, unless you have something seriously wrong with your mind, give them every bit of knowledge we have on the death eaters and they will turn away and defy him all they can! We can not let Voldemort continue to ruin lives this way!" His little speech had the desired effect, there was instantaneous applause from everyone and soon everyone was on their feet clapping, Harry bowed and sat down, confident that he had done his best. His idea was widely accepted and soon they were in debates about what to teach, when, how much, how long the lessons should be etc. Harry, who had given this thought, had already found several people, including Mr. McKionnon, Severus Snape, Aram (who had been forced to serve Voldemort while the dark lord had his family hostage) and two other ex-spies who would be willing to come and speak to the students. A special group was put together to make these lessons and give them to all the schools, the Order of the Phoenix agreed to help if they could and by the end of the day Harry really felt as if he'd accomplished something.  
  
**  
  
When they returned to Hogwarts on Sunday students flocked around the two Marauders, asking what had happened, Harry, feeling his scar begin to burn again, left Hermione to answer the questions and went up to his rooms.  
  
"Harry? Are you okay?" Ira asked him.  
  
"This dratted scar is starting to hurt again, I'm going to go try to See in the fire, or maybe dream, perhaps I can find out what's going on."  
  
"Don't strain yourself okay Harry? Quidditch match in three days." Ira reminded him.  
  
"Yeah, we need you in the game." Added Morgan (beater) and Celila, a transfer fourth year who had happened to be a beater. Harry nodded and hurried upstairs.  
  
In his rooms he lit the fire and sat down in front of it in an armchair, for nearly a half-hour he looked into the fire before it began to change, and soon flickering images appeared.  
  
Voldemort was standing on a small pedestal, his death eaters about him. Mesmerd flew in-groups across the sky and dementors were gliding around. At his feet coiled four snakes and behind him a river troll thumped its club in its hand. Three people, muggles Harry could sense, lay dead on the ground, badly maimed. Harry could smell their blood everywhere.  
  
"Tomorrow we gather our forces, the battlefield has been chosen. We will set up out camp, put up ambushes and traps and defenses. The Order will come, and we will catch them and kill them. They cannot fight us, our numbers are too great and we are too powerful. Our dead comrades will be avenged in the Order's blood. We will triumph and rule the entire world. All muggles except ones in good enough physical health to serve as slaves will be killed, and those wizards and witches who defy us shale be killed, or perhaps I shall rip their powers from them and they can join the muggles as slaves? Hmm, yes that does sound like a good idea. No more hiding in the shadows for us my bold death eaters, now the world will tremble with fear before us. The dark shall rule all!" The death eaters took up his cry, as did the trolls, Harry wasn't sure if the dementors had voices to do so.  
  
"The dark shall rule all!"  
  
"The dark shall rule all!"  
  
"The dark shall rule all!"  
  
"The dark shall rule all!"  
  
"The dark shall rule all!"  
  
"The dark shall rule all!"  
  
"The dark shall rule all!" They broke out into screams and cheers as Voldemort raised his arms and a harsh wind began to blow.  
  
"We shall rule unchallenged over the entire world, our world to do as we like with. We shall be the masters and killers of all those pathetic life forms which dare to oppose us, the dark shall rule all!"  
  
"The Dark Lord shall rule unchallenged!" Voldemort's apprentice shouted.  
  
"The Dark Lord shall rule unchallenged!" They answered him.  
  
"Who shall rule?"  
  
"Tha dark lord shall rule!" The death eaters cried, Harry began to feel sick.  
  
"Who do we serve?"  
  
"The Dark Lord, Ruler of the World!"  
  
"What do we fight for?"  
  
"Our Lord!"  
  
"Tha dark lord shall rule!"  
  
"Tha dark lord shall rule!"  
  
"Tha dark lord shall rule!"  
  
"Tha dark lord shall rule!"  
  
Harry lost it, in one swift movement he called up a thunderstorm and directed it to wherever Voldemort was, it didn't work entirely, for he had no location to give it, but a huge downpour suddenly hit the shouting mass and some lightning crackled. People went running for cover and the rain increased, Harry nearly laughed, there had already been a huge rainstorm on the horizon, his little bit had turned it into a flash flood. More lightning crackled and thunder rumbled. Slowly the vision faded away into the flames. Getting a sudden idea Harry grabbed his broom and leaped out the window.  
  
Outside the giant storm was on the horizon, Harry floated up high and sent his mind out to his storm. He must have been very angry, or it had already been partially there, the storm stretched on for nearly ninety miles. The muggles would notice this for sure, but as he worked at it Harry began to sense that there had already been several huge storms here, he had just connected them and given them more power. Well well, poor Tommy boy had had his party ruined, to bad! Laughing Harry flew back to his rooms, but inside he was still worried, where would Voldemort lead his army? What was happening? Would this mean that the attacks would stop? Harry took his dream & vision recorder out of his sleeve and examined the scene before sending it to Sirius, this was going to mean trouble.  
  
Harry went down to eat with his friends that evening, only to find the entire hall filled with silent students, not a single teacher was present. Harry looked around, then an odd glow caught his eye.  
  
  
  
Oooh what does Harry see?  
  
Did you like? Review please!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The film begins. Out of a dense fog trots Arthur, accompanied on two  
  
empty coconut halves by his trusty servant, Patsy. They approach a  
  
castle. Suddenly a guard appears atop a high rampart.  
  
  
  
Guard: Halt! Who goes there?  
  
Arthur: It is I, Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon, from the castle of Camelot.  
  
King of the Britons, defeater of the Saxons, sovereign of all England!  
  
Guard: Who's the other one?  
  
Arthur: I am, and this is my trusty servant Patsy. We have ridden the length  
  
and breadth of the land in search of knights who will join me in my  
  
court at Camelot. I must speak with your lord and master.  
  
Guard: What, ridden on a horse?  
  
Arthur: Yes.  
  
Guard: You're using coconuts!  
  
Arthur: What?  
  
Guard: You've got two empty 'alves of coconuts and you're bangin' 'em  
  
together!  
  
Arthur: So? We have ridden since the snows of winter covered this land.  
  
Through the kingdom of Mercia, through...  
  
Guard: Where'd you get the coconuts?  
  
Arthur: (somewhat taken aback) We found them.  
  
Guard: Found them? In Mercia? The coconut's tropical!  
  
Arthur: What do you mean?  
  
Guard: This is a temperate zone!  
  
Arthur: The swallow may fly south with the sun, or the house maarten or the  
  
plummer may seek warmer climes in winter, but these are not strangers  
  
to our land!  
  
Guard: Are you suggesting that coconuts migrate?  
  
Arthur: Not at all! They could be carried.  
  
Guard: (indcredulous) What, a swallow, carrying a coconut?  
  
Arthur: It could grip it by the husk!  
  
Guard: It's not a question of where 'e grips it! It's a simple question of  
  
weight ratios! A five-ounce bird could *not* carry a one-pound  
  
coconut!  
  
Arthur: (exasperated)  
  
Well it doesn't matter! Will you go and tell your master that Arthur  
  
from the court of Camelot is here!  
  
  
  
(pause)  
  
  
  
Guard: Listen. In order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow needs to  
  
beat its wings forty-three times every second, right?  
  
  
  
Arthur: Please!  
  
Guard: (patiently) Am I right.  
  
Arthur: I'm not interested!  
  
  
  
( A second guard appears on the rampart. )  
  
  
  
G2: It could be carried by an African swallow!  
  
G1: Oh, yeah, an African swallow, maybe, but not a European swallow, that's  
  
my point.  
  
G2: Oh, yeah, I agree with that.  
  
Arthur: (extremely exasperated) Will you ask your master if he wants to join  
  
my court at Camelot!!  
  
  
  
(pause)  
  
  
  
G1: But then of course, African swallows are non-migratory.  
  
G2: Oh yeah...  
  
  
  
(Arthur and Patsy give up and trot away)  
  
  
  
G1: So they couldn't bring a coconut back anyway.  
  
G2: Wait a minute! Supposing *two* swallows carried it together!  
  
G1: Nooo..... They'd have to have it on a line...  
  
G2: Well, simple! They'd just use a strand of creeper!  
  
G1: What, held under the dorsal guiding feathers?  
  
G2: Well, why not? 


	24. Chapter 24 The Interrogator & More Prank...

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, no so much MP anymore, I'll still have some more sometime though, but there are so many other pranks to play! Promise to update soon! Please review!  
  
Lone Wolf: Yes, I got those lines from Anne McCaffery's books.  
  
  
  
Chapter 24 The Interrogator & More Pranks  
  
Harry hurried into the healer's wing at the Fortress with a large bag full of Haruput leaves. There had been yet another attack, this time at a town meeting in some small suburb in Jamaica of all places. Fifteen casualties and the whole town burned to the ground. He tossed the bag to one of the healers, Ramira he thought, just then he caught sight of an Order agent on the grounds. Nothing unusual about that, but seeing his robes Harry noticed that he was with the special projects division, and Harry knew that one: there were only ten people in that division, and two: he knew all of them and three: no new people had been put in it. Harry lowered the walls around his mind just a little; the man's thoughts hit him, no blocking spell.  
  
{He said it was on the left, there, the large cavern. Flight of stairs in the left front corner beside the door to Black's quarters and those of the council, important visitors etc. Password is Arachnophobia, second password is Queen Victoria.} Harry scowled, not many people knew those passwords, this man had no sign of any rank beyond special projects division, and only the division leaders were allowed up there, and they each wore a badge at all times with their division. There could only be one conclusion, this man was an assassin or a spy. Harry turned to the nearest healer, Polaris, Sirius's cousin he recalled.  
  
"Polaris see that man over there? He's not in the special projects division, he's either a spy or an assassin, tell the Lord Phoenix and give him an image of him, tell him I'm going to follow the spy and try to stop him from killing anyone. This may be a diversion to call attention from other places so don't send too much backup." Polaris nodded and his eyes unfocused, Harry placed the invisibility spell upon himself and hurried after the man.  
  
Like a cat Harry stalked his quarry, into the main cavern, up the stairs and down the hall. As the other stopped outside the council room Harry walked until he was only feet away, the spy scattered some papers on the floor. Harry watched as the man bent to pick them up while planting a tiny disk on the floor that blended in with the carpet. Harry then return to the end on the hall and met the man as he came out, bumping into him.  
  
"Oh! Sorry."  
  
"That's okay Harry, what you up to?"  
  
"I-say are you new?"  
  
"Yeah, just entered yesterday."  
  
"Huh, odd, no one told me of an initiation, humph! So you're in the special projects division hmm? Come on then, the Lord Phoenix asked me to round you all up, there's a little problem with the telepathic communications, come on. I'm to tell you that your new assignments are in the usual folders in the Blue Room. Do you know where that is?"  
  
"No, first time up here."  
  
"And here I was thinking that everyone in the special project division knew their way around, guess they hurried your training." Harry turned off down the hall and stopped outside the council room.  
  
"Isn't that the council room?" Harry gave him a weird look.  
  
"No really? Gee, I thought it was your masters wardrobe." He opened the door and shove the man in, hard, the spy landed face down on the carpet. Harry stepped on the collar of his robes, pinning him there. The spy looked up into the frigid eyes of the Lord Phoenix while the entire council watched with grim looks on their faces.  
  
"So nice of you to join us, let the man up Harry, you don't treat guests that way, even if they are from Voldemort." Harry twisted his shoes so that the man on the floor choked before striding to a place along the wall where he leaned against it, arms folded to watch the show.  
  
And it was quite a show. The man's name was Paul Zodman, he's magic readings were not on the files so he was an ideal spy, and he had worked up a nearly complete immunity to vertisarum and all truth potions, he was also a very nasty individual who did nothing but rain insults on them all. Finally Sirius had had enough, he was just getting ready to try and torture some information out of him when Miranda stalked in.  
  
Miranda was probably more powerful than even Dumbledore, nearly as powerful as Harry, and her habit of carrying enough concealed weapons to arm a battalion, along with a reputation for killing and amazing interrogation abilities led many to fear her. Harry had seen the open respect and slight fear just about everyone besides Sirius, Dumbledore, and himself showed around her, but he had never seen the entire council quail at the sight of her and flinch away before. He had also known that she had, when she was very young, been captured by some of Voldemort's supporters, a group who called themselves the Interrogators who were feared even to some extent by Voldemort. They used a magical weapon to torture victims until the unfortunate person got so used to doing exactly what they said without question, like a robot, that they could tell the person to kill themselves and the person would simply drop dead. All of them were female, captured when they were between ten and thirteen, they were tortured until they were basically unable to feel pain and loved to torture others, lunatics all of them, they usually killed themselves around the age of thirty five. Miranda had been caught by them and trained, but them she had killed her trainers and escaped, the only one to do so ever. All of the Interrogators had been killed upon capture after Voldemort's downfall. Miranda was the last one of them. She was dressed from head to foot in red leather, from a gold bracelet on her right wrist hung a gold chain, attached to it as a ten inch long red rod topped with a ruby, the Interrogators instrument of torture, called an Blood Rod.  
  
"On your feet." It was a short curt command, and the prisoner was too slow to obey, Miranda whipped around and touched the rod to his cheek, instantly he fell to the floor, screaming. "I said on your feet, and that means NOW!" The prisoner jumped to his feet, touching his cheek, staring at her in horror.  
  
"Well timed." Sirius commented, Miranda rested a hand on the back of his chair; Sirius eyed the Blood Rod, dangling only inches away from his shoulder, with worry.  
  
"What exactly do you want to know form him? I sure he'll be only too willing to tell you." She purred, her eyes gleaming at Zodman, who was trembling.  
  
"Just so long as you don't kill him."  
  
"That can await."  
  
"No I mean never. Once you've given him a thorough going over we'll send him back to his master."  
  
"Bit by bit perhaps?"  
  
"Miranda please, drop the terrorist act." Sirius said, leaning away from the Blood Rod a little as his wife scowled and ruffled his hair.  
  
"You're ruining my fun, would you like me to question him here or in the dungeons?"  
  
"I think the carpet looks better unstained."  
  
"You heard him Zodman, we'll continue our conversation in the dungeons, make one move to run and you'll wish you'd never been born, got that?" Zodman nodded, "I said got that? Answer me!"  
  
"Yes." Miranda ran the Blood Rod across his face again as she left, He staggered and screamed, Sirius kicked him roughly and he hurried out. The council didn't move. Harry sensed Sirius sending them a message, then Sirius included him.  
  
Do you have any questions for him? If you do then please come, you might want to anyway, just to see how Interrogators work, mind you it's not pleasant. Most of the council followed, Harry sent a quick message to Sirius saying he had to get back to Hogwarts and left, he had no real wish to watch, Miranda might be one of the nicest people he knew, but she was ruthless against Voldemort's supporters.  
  
**  
  
Harry sat down in his rooms; the other Marauders were already there except for Draco. He was, to the other's thinking and his, basically an honorary Marauders and normally wasn't involved with most of their pranks, Harry sent him a message through he badge that they were having a meeting. Soon he appeared and they got down to business.  
  
"What do you lot say to blowing up the great hall?" Ron asked.  
  
"Literally? You ARE crackers, Dumbledore will have fits!" Ira exclaimed.  
  
"Isn't that the purpose?" Draco asked smugly.  
  
"That's our long-range goal, the other is to drive the professors up the walls."  
  
"Literally or figuratively Ron?"  
  
"You're a genius Harry! Literally of course! Duh!"  
  
"Then there's the other goals, put Snape in an asylum, drive McGonagal batty, Filch nutters, Flitwick crazy, and Trelwany mentally deficient, worse than now I mean, and Dumbledore off his rocker." Harry listed off.  
  
"Make them all loose their marbles to shorten it." Hermione said, Ron brought them back on track.  
  
"Back to the up the walls idea?"  
  
"How shall we accomplish this I wonder?"  
  
"Uhoh, bad luck chaps, he's got that look in his eye, one of Harry Potter's machiavellian devilish dangerous no doubt pranks coming right up!" Ron groaned, Harry smirked.  
  
"How are we going to drive them up the walls Harry? Won't that be a little hard to ensure safety?"  
  
"Elementary my dear Ira, elementary. We attach their chairs to a spell, which will drag them backwards to the wall and up it. Once they reach ten feet we leave them."  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
"Blow up all the food?"  
  
"Isn't that a little to simple Hermione?"  
  
"I agree with Draco, too simple, but there is something else we could do…"  
  
**  
  
That evening, just before the food appeared, the professors were suddenly yanked back, slammed into the wall, and then went shooting up it to a height of ten feet, where they stuck. Dumbledore managed to undo the charm and they all crashed back to earth.  
  
Then Dumbledore reached down to lift the cover off a platter, a signal to start eating, and out leaped Mrs. Norris! He dropped the lid in astonishment, when he went o lift it again out came…the silverware? Yes, forks spoon and knives, each in their own little unit came marching in rows off the platter. A bunch of salad spoon followed, drumming a marching song as they went. In perfect military fashion the silverware hopped down off the table and marched to their correct places. It took nearly five minutes for them to stop coming out. At which point Dumbledore put the lid down again and watched in fascination as the silverware went to their spots, then each utensil acted out a horrid death and fell into place. Then, with everyone's eyes on him he lifted the lid again, a large roast turkey was there, then its head uncurled from where it had been hidden.  
  
"Yu gonna 'et me bub?" It asked, "no r'spec' fer me kind these days, nope der ain't. The head and neck then proceeded to blow up, scattering the exploding jelly beads from which it had been made, exploding jelly beads which had jelly inside that was nearly liquid (a new invention of Zonkos) exploded upon impacting, every person in the hall was hit with at least twenty as the entire turkey blew up. The Marauders, hidden beneath their tables, snickered and gave each other high fives.  
  
"POTTER! WEEASELY! GRANGER! SMITHRAN! MALFOY! I want to see ALL of you in my office right after the meal! Got that???!!!" McGonagal roared in a fury, most of the hall was laughing as the five Marauders emerged un-jellied form under the tables. They all stood to attention, faces stiff and expressionless, backs straight, shoulder back, looking very military, despite the fact their Marauder's clothes lent it an unprofessional look.  
  
"Yes professor ma'am!" They gave her a sharp salute and sat down again.  
  
The Marauders got detentions for two days, but they didn't mind, a perfect chance to spread Quick Drying Upon Sticking Super Glue on all the floors of Hogwarts.  
  
  
  
REVIEW PLEASE I LOVE REVIEWS!!! 


	25. Chapter 25 What Will Come Will Come

Chapter 25 What is to Come Will Come and We Shall Meet it When it Does  
  
Lee, Alicia and Wara Ulinton sat around a smooth wooden table in one of the many open work areas just off the order library in the maps section. Lee glanced up, Harry had left a few hours ago to try and track down a book, which supposedly contained a painfully detailed account of the last Elemental hatching and the subsequent fighting. He was relieved for Harry's absence, Harry had spent all morning pacing around, cloak swirling as he examined a chart, his eyes glowed with a slightly hypnotic look that reminded Lee of a caged animal. Harry had been "scenting the wind" trying to determine exactly where the Elementals eggs were. The only time the creatures were truly vulnerable was when they were unhatched, if they could be destroyed before they hatched, or even just a few of them, it would give everyone a better chance of surviving.  
  
"Damn Voldemort!" Lee's head swung around at Harry's muttering, he was back, and in a towering rage.  
  
"What'd he do now?" Alicia asked, Harry sat down and put a few burnt scrolls on the table.  
  
"He got there first, stole the book and burn the library to the ground, killed everyone inside poor things, they never had a chance. Most of the books were saved, but this was all I could find from the scrolls containing information on the Elementals." He carefully opened one and began to try and decipher the strange language of pictures and shapes, after a few moments he'd decided that it was no language he or any of the other knew. A quick search in the language guides found not a thing, Miranda moving past stopped to look.  
  
"What on earth is that?"  
  
"Wish we knew." Alicia replied, she explained about the library burning.  
  
"That was unnecessary, now Tom is starting to act like the Nazis? You know I have seen something like that before." She vanished into that library and returned in about ten minutes with a stack of books and a clay tablet. "Yes, see, some of the symbols, a lot actually are the same. Same shapes and designs, these were found in South America, in old Inca tombs and temples. You ought to check the Hogwarts library for more help, you're going to have to translate it, and I wish you luck. She left, Harry examined the scrolls, tracings, tablet, and two other scrolls for a moment.  
  
"She's right. What do you have with the maps? At least a guess?"  
  
"Not much, a general area, one in German, one about one hundred and fifty miles from Hogwarts, one in Antarctica, and one in the Mexico area. Not much, we've narrowed it down to an area of roughly seventy square miles in each location."  
  
"That's great, hopefully Voldemort doesn't have a better idea than we do, he knows about the Elementals now, and maybe where they are." Harry said, they had done a super job, but it was a little disappointing.  
  
"Is that bad?" Lee asked.  
  
"Worse than bad, he can influence them to leave his people and him alone while they destroy every other organic thing on the planet. They'll leave him, his lands, and his armies alone and destroy everyone else. They clear the planet for him them fly off into space to search for other organic things elsewhere and he gets earth. But only if he knows enough about them and gets to the eggs a week before they hatch, if he does…well that would probably be the end of this war. And if he doesn't…we've got hope…either way I'll fight them. You've done enough today people, thanks, I'll go check the library at Hogwarts." He stood and gathered up everything and left, trying to hide his mounting fear…if Voldemort got the Elementals…  
  
**  
  
Albus Dumbledore watched out the window as students dressed in winter gear played tag, and had snowball fights, he smiled, his school was at peace and they were safe. Behind him Severus and Minerva came up quietly, careful not to disturb him.  
  
"You'd hardly know that we are at war and that the worst dark lord ever is trying to take over." Minerva said softly, watching the students with a small smile.  
  
"They play now, but not when Voldemort attacks, then we must be ready to fight." Severus growled.  
  
"We will be ready, we ARE ready, as ready as we can be." Albus said in response.  
  
"The Order is here, they are safe for now. Let them be, their childhood is a difficult one." Minerva told Severus firmly, smiling in pride as Gryffindor won the snow ball fight.  
  
"As Harry remarked earlier, it will make them stronger, great danger breeds great warriors and great wizards." Albus quoted.  
  
"The Elementals? How is Harry handling it?"  
  
Albus suppressed a small frown, Severus was horrid as usual to Harry during class, but he did care about the boy. Harry had been working nonstop all year; he needed a rest, and now this. How was he handling it? The knowledge that any day could be his last, they all knew that he would not survive the Elemental attack, would any of them? But Harry was ready to die trying, infact when Albus had questioned him Harry had said that to him it would not too bad. He was ready and willing to die trying to protect the entire human population, great kid, great heart, no childhood though, poor thing.  
  
"I am sure he is handling it okay." Albus said, praying it was true.  
  
**  
  
Back at Hogwarts Harry went straight to the library and found a table well hidden in the back. He'd only been there for a few moments when Ron, Ira, and Hermione came over.  
  
"Hello Harry, what's up? Besides the ceiling?" Ira asked, Harry explained and showed them the scrolls.  
  
"Ancient Temple Inca, the forerunner of Inca! I've seen something with that in here before!" Hermione was all excited, leaning over the scrolls, tracings and tablets, handling them like paper-thin glass.  
  
"Do you know any of it?" Harry asked hopefully.  
  
"Nnnooo, well that one means air, and that on is earth. Wait just one sec!" And she was off, searching through the library.  
  
"Trust Hermione to know every book in here, she'll probably take over from Madam Pince don't you think Harry?"  
  
"I thought you knew her better than that Ron, Hermione's much to adventuresome, our doing I suppose, being a librarian would be too boring for her." Harry said, a little reprovingly as he bent of the scrolls again. Ron and Ira sat down, each of them took one of the slightly burned scrolls and began copying everything over onto paper, skipping every other line. On these lines they would go back and write in above the words what the translation, starting with fire and water. Grateful for their help Harry went through the papers and tablets, after much scrutiny he found the symbol for fire and water, two of the elements, they started working on find all those symbols and writing in the translation, waiting for Hermione to return.  
  
Hermione finally got back, three large books and one tiny one with her. One of them had a bunch if translations, written down by the last person ever to be able to speak Ancient Temple Inca, a wizard/priest, probably a squib, all magic folk were until Merlin.  
  
**  
  
Three hours later the each had about two sentences, and these were only bits and pieces. The others had gone, Harry sat quietly, working steadily, but he vision blurred and he sighed. Just to tired, he leaned back and checked the clock; he'd been at it for nearly six hours straight. With a tired sigh he gathered his things and left, Madam Pince was locking up for the night, on his way out he failed to see Mrs. Norris and tripped, crashing into a book shelf and knocking some of the books out.  
  
"Blasted cat!" Harry's wand snapped down, Mrs. Norris fled in terror, her fur blue.  
  
"Could you put those away before you leave Harry? Thanks." Madam Pince said as she left, Harry sighed and moved his scrolls away a bit, levitating them to leave his hands free and bent down. Two books caught his eyes, The Worst Dark Wizards & Their Reigns of Terror, the 80th version, published 2002, and, The Greatest Wizards & Witches of the Light, the story of the worlds heroes, the 80th version published 2002. In sudden interest Harry flipped through the one on dark wizards, Voldemort was the latest, worst, and his story was already well over eight hundred pages long. Harry put it away, as he picked up the other it fell open to a page, and to his astonishment he saw a picture of himself, tattered robes whipping about him, hurling lightning at Voldemort. Amused he put it away too, wondering if he should sue the author. As he put it away he saw the title of the book next to it, Class A1 Disasters, a Guide to our Gory past. Wondering if it hand anything on the Elementals Harry took it out.  
  
Harry spent some time reading in the common room until most of the younger students went up to bed then Harry curled up in a chair next to the fire and opened the book, ignoring the other students who always seemed to fall strangely silent when he was around before continuing their conversations, all except a few…  
  
"Had a nice day Harry?" Harry glanced up at Colin and fixed the younger boy in a cool look.  
  
"No not really."  
  
"Oh…sorry, what are you reading?" Harry showed him the book, Colin's eyes widened.  
  
"Does it have anything on he-who-"  
  
"Voldemort Colin, Voldemort." A few heads turned and Harry, reaching out mentally was aware of every person in the common room listening in.  
  
"Yes…is there anything about him in it?"  
  
"A little, later on, right now I'm still in the 1800s. Besides Voldie's story isn't done yet so how could they write about it? The next addition will be coming out next year, there's sure to be stuff about him in that one if you want to read it…though I wouldn't suggest it."  
  
"What's he going to do?" Harry's eyes bored into Colin's, becoming strangely intense and measuring, Colin had to look away; now everyone had gone quiet to listen.  
  
"What will come will come, and be dealt with when it does." Harry said firmly, one of the third years, who Harry remembered was named Clarice persisted the questioning.  
  
"But do you know? I mean some one must have some idea, don't they?" Harry became aware of the tension level, and realized that the fear and anxiety had not faded among the students, merely been held within, hidden. But now it was time for it to come out, should he? He glanced at Ron and Hermione across form him, they too got the idea and nodded.  
  
"What do you think will happen?" Harry relaxed his gaze as Clarice bit her lip under his scrutiny, he could feel her fear and uneasiness. He turned his gaze to everyone, slowly a few of the younger students crept closer to him and the fire, sitting around him like they would around a storyteller.  
  
"He could attack…like before and on the other schools?"  
  
"He could, and most likely he would lose, the school is powerful and the order is here." Harry pretended not to hear a soft voice whisper, "and you."  
  
"I heard one of the seventh years saying that he broke into Hogwarts six years ago with the help of a teacher, something about the Sorcerers Stone?" Harry looked up to his friends, then with methodic slowness he closed his book and sat up a little and looked down at the students questioning eyes. The older students pulled chair over or cushions to sit on. Someone conjured up huge fluffy cushions and some beanbag chairs for every to relax among.  
  
"There is quite a story behind that, we still have an hour until we have to go to bed, would you like to hear it?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Please?"  
  
"Sure!"  
  
"We'd love to!"  
  
Harry smiled, Ron and Hermione sat up a bit in the huge armchair they were sharing, Ira, sitting in a sort fluffy of bowl-chair beside Harry nodded.  
  
"I'll need a little help from Ron and Hermione for this. It all began in our first year here at Hogwarts…"  
  
An hour later Harry had gotten through only a third of their first year.  
  
"And now it is time for bed, we'll continue tomorrow evening." Hermione said, shooing the unhappy students away.  
  
"Do you think that was right? Should we have told them?" Harry asked, stretching like a large cat in his chair.  
  
"It reassures them, everybody loved it, even the oldest students. I think the three of us ought to start storytelling hour each evening, for everyone in every house." Hermione said.  
  
"That sounds like a bit much, lets drag it out so it takes a long time, and they loved it so much. Finally! A way to communicate and speak with the students, reassure them and remove their fears, this is perfect." Harry said sleepily, heading upstairs, soon the other followed.  
  
**  
  
Thud…a long expectant pause…thud…thud…thud…Thud! A huge foot came down, gigantic silver claws sank into the ground, they seemed weary, tired and worn. A Royal Aaron plodded along, all grandeur and majestic beauty gone from the forlorn creature. Its nose almost touched the ground, it was covered in dried blood and hideous wounds seeped blood. One eye was so covered with dried blood it was stuck and swollen shut. The fur no longer shone and sparkled, the wings were messed and dulled, one hung brokenly. Slowly it turned its nose up and a long drawn out howl ripped lose, its body shuddered as the sad song came forth. Harry felt great sadness for the once splendid beast, a single blood red tear rolled from the one eye. Like all Aaron tears it had the powers of a Phoenix tear, by why was it red? The sad song racked Harry's mind and body and soon he heard other howls on the wind. There were others out there, somewhere, but they were dead and dying, like it was, to weak to defend itself, to tired to fly. The ground was scorched and charred, nothing grew or stirred, it was a dead land, a wasteland. The enchanting terrible melody floated on the breeze, one by one the voices died away. Finally the one that remained stopped, and listened, not a sound to be heard, its siblings were gone. It was alone, alone with a world to defend forever, and not a single friend, where there should have been six one stood all alone, and this one could not hold out much longer. It fell slowly onto its side, and sighed, breathing slowly and lightly. Finally the eyes both sprang open brilliantly green and glowing, then they dulled and paled, the fire left them. Eyes that had seen too much, and needed a rest. A voice echoed in his head, it came from the Royal Aaron, and that voice was his own. "I will always be there." Harry blinked, one paw stirred, then lay still, the eyes closed. "Whenever you need me I will be there, forever at your side." Harry reached out and stroked the bloodied head, feeling its life fleeing while it made an effort to live, it had sworn it would, it had too. *Too tough and too loyal to die, no matter what the effort.* Where had those words come from? *Never give up, never release the light to the mercy of the dark* What was going on? *I will always be there, forever at your side* The eyes blinked open. *I shall fight and die for you without a thought for myself* The blood was going away, the wounds began to heal. *I stand my ground, and no enemy shall pass* The legs began to move, the tail flicked. *Your defender and your friend forever* Slowly the great body stirred as the wounds vanished and the coat began to gleam, Harry felt as though he were pushing a thin layer of gauze out of the way, everything became clearer, more focused. *Look for me, and I'll be there for you* Slowly it got to its feet, the wing healed. *I am the last, and I shall not fall* The coat gleamed brilliantly, it flexed its claws and flapped its wings. *What will come will come, and I, I will meet it when it does* The great head tilted back and roared defiantly to the sky, the dawn would be here soon. *And then I shall fight for you* The dawn broke, sunbeams streaming across the ground, grass grew and plant flourished, time seemed to speed up. *Just call my name, and I shall come.* It was getting ready to fly away, he could feel it. *Always be there, always, never let you down* It was off, it soared across oceans and deserts, finally, through the clouds he could see a castle far below. The Royal Aaron wheeled and came down, it seemed to shrink and shrink, until if swooped in a window and landed on one of the people sleeping inside.  
  
Harry woke with a small gasp, Tiger was sitting beside him, purring steadily. Hedwig was out hunting. Harry got up and went to the window and looked out, nothing moved. An observer would have seen a tiny smile of joy and relief cross his face. He was the Royal Aaron, the last of his kind. He protect them forever, no matter what the cost, what would come will come, and we will meet it when it does. I am not afraid to die.  
  
What will happen next? Wait and see! Please Review! 


	26. Chapter 26 The Race

Chapter 26  
  
"Harry? Oh Harry! Hey sleepy head!" Harry blinked and sat up, Ron was standing fully dressed beside him. "You plan to snooze all day?"  
  
"What? A-a-a, n-no, of course not." He sat up quickly and grabbed his robes, dressed horridly and went downstairs.  
  
"So Harry, had any dream recently?" Ron asked calmly, Harry tensed.  
  
"No, not recently."  
  
"Don't lie Harry, we know you too well, you were up last night." Ron replied, frowning at him, Harry sighed; they did know him too well. He explained his dream, for once not terrifying.  
  
"Wow, wish I could have seen it, I hope this means that everything is going to be okay." Ira said once he'd finished.  
  
"Not it's not okay, we have potions in five minutes!" Hermione said, grabbing their bags they hurried from the hall.  
  
A sign on the door said that Snape was busy and couldn't be there for all the morning lessons so they went to the library, Harry back to work on his maps, trying to pinpoint the Elemental eggs before Voldemort got to them.  
  
**  
  
Harry spent the entire day working on and off; by dinnertime he was confident he had the location of some of the eggs. After dinner he went up to Dumbledore's office, Ron, heroine, and Ira wanted to come as well but Harry reminded them that they needed to be with the students, eventually they left.  
  
"Professor?"  
  
"Ah Harry, what's up  
  
"I believe I have located some of the Elemental eggs."  
  
"Should we go after them now and…dispose of them?" Dumbledore asked, Harry touched his mind without the other's noticing, Dumbledore was ready to go and wanted to get out of Hogwarts for a while.  
  
"Since I have no way of knowing when the eggs will hatch without seeing what stage they are in that would be a good idea." Dumbledore called Sirius and soon Harry's godfather arrived with a few others.  
  
"You found them? Excellent, we'll start out now then, sooner we get them the better, where are the maps?" Harry handed them to him, watching as they paled slightly, the eggs were very, very, close to New York over in America.  
  
"All the more reason to hurry, lets go, yes you can come." Miranda said to Ron and Hermione and Ira, who had followed Harry, Harry shot them a look, which they ignored before leaving. They went outside, the others lowering the apparition wards briefly, Harry, who could still not apparate, went with Miranda. He had a brief sensation of tickling and swirling light, and then they were there.  
  
"Now where?" Sirius examined the map then started off through the trees. They were in a heavily wooded area, and it was dark beneath the trees, and cold, unnaturally so Harry thought. The trail was very old, almost overgrown, but someone had passed here recently, there were fresh footprints. A sudden flash of pain from his scar made him slow down and stop.  
  
"Harry?" Ron asked softly.  
  
"Damn, we're late, he's already here!" Harry broke into a run, Sirius handed him the map, Harry took it and examined their route, they were behind Voldemort, but he didn't have the map. Up ahead the trail split, this was where Harry wasn't sure where to go.  
  
"We'll split up, Severus, Remus, Harry, Hermione, Ira, Ron, you go straight, Miranda, Mundungus, Albus, Alanna, Sara, Lan, you go left, the rest of us will go right. Keep telepathic communication down to a minimum, Sarlan has evidence that Voldemort has discovered how to tap into them." Sirius said quickly, Harry took off down his trail.  
  
The dark trees seemed to reach out, suddenly they rounded a bend and stopped dead. Hanging from the tree were two muggle hikers, both hung by their necks from the branches of the tree directly across the trail.  
  
"Oh no," Hermione averted her eyes but Harry looked the hikers over carefully. From their packs they must have been hiking for a few days, and both were clean so they had bathed. And looking at their packs…there seemed to be nessecary supplies missing. Remus was examining the ground. Harry and Snape knelt beside him.  
  
"See there? There was a large group of hikers, some of them were killed here, the others were taken prisoner." Remus pointed to drag marks and signs of a scuffle, Harry nodded in agreement. Harry hurried on, a sudden chill made them all halt, the wind whipped fiercely.  
  
"Dementors," Snape murmured, searching the forest, a sudden crack from behind them made them all jump. A dark shape went behind a tree, a harsh breath came from behind them, Harry drew his and fired a Patronus as he turned, thinking hard of how nice a summer vacation in Hawaii sounded. His silver stag leaped at the hooded shape not two feet behind, making it stumble and flee.  
  
"Crucio!" Ron's screams filled the air, Remus blasted the death eater off his feet, the others leaped back out of the way as the two began to duel. Harry summoned Ron out of their way. Snape stunned the death eater, Harry's Patronus had sent the dozen or so dementors fleeing. Another death eaters leaped out of a tree, landing on Snape's back and knocking him to the ground. Ira froze him and the fight stopped, Harry looked around, Ron was shivering and gasping.  
  
"You okay?" Harry asked, Ron looked up and nodded.  
  
"He's here, and he knows we know he's here, and so he'll be setting traps to slow us." Snape said, dusting off his robes.  
  
"The we should hurry." Harry said and they were off again.  
  
Harry's breath steamed, it was still winter really and cold, suddenly two things swung at him from opposite sides of the path, Harry threw himself flat and rolled under them. There was a thump and a horrid scream from behind him that was abruptly cut off. He leaped to his feet and whirled, and stopped. Two more bodies suspended form ropes, he could feel the remains of the spell he'd stepped on. Remus had his hand over Hermione's mouth; it was she who had screamed.  
  
"They're wasting time, both of these people had their souls sucked out." Snape said, moving forwards and looking closely at the bodies.  
  
"All the better, come on, they've still got a head start." Harry took off again, jogging along, trying to look out for traps.  
  
He burst through some bushes and instinctively leaped, this would be a perfect place to dig a pit, behind him Snape was not so tuned in and crashed through the well-hidden trap. The others clustered around.  
  
"Are you okay?" Harry called down, Snape struggled in the mud and stood up, wiping blood off a cut of his jaw. He ignored Harry's question.  
  
"They're getting smarter." He levitated himself out, "well what are we waiting for?" Harry was about to say something, but thought better of it and turned and started off.  
  
Harry ran, sniffing the wind and listening, slowly it occurred to him that he could hear the others, and one or two of them were running irregularly, limping, they'd only been going for about a mile. He knew that they were all in good shape, but maybe someone was tiring…or injured. *Probably Severus* He thought, well if he was badly hurt he'd tell them or try to levitate himself along, despite the energy this took, and he would definitely not appreciate Harry's asking. Harry realized that they could be running towards their deaths, but they had to get to the eggs, or atleast stop Voldemort form getting them. He jumped a tripwire, "Lumos Aparous," the wire lit up so the other could see it. Now they were running along a gorge, he could see holes in the rock…poisoned darts? Set so that they would fly from slingshot-like things as soon as they felt the slightest vibration? Or a spell maybe? Well they couldn't turn back and he could sense spells that made using magic here impossible. Harry ducked as he went through the narrow part, something whizzed by his ear, he dropped and rolled and a few more flew. Harry leaped and dodged and ducked, darts hissing about him, something hit his sleeve, but the sleeves were huge and it hung below his wrist. Harry yanked it out and tossed it away, finally they stopped and he as through, behind him the others followed, their path clear of darts. He stopped to wait on the other side.  
  
"Harry! What were you thinking? You ran right through them! And don't say you didn't know they were there, you knew, and you till kept going? Sirius is going to have fits, so will Albus for that matter, you shouldn't have done that!" Remus was angry, but relieved, Harry ignored him, examining the wind with his senses, hoping to catch a trace of the Elementals, but nothing stirred.  
  
"Someone had to clear the path Remus."  
  
"You should have let Severus or I do it." Remus was looking away, up at the cliffs, Harry glanced at Snape and saw the other shift his weight a little. Harry's eyes met Snape's Harry glanced at Snape's leg again, then up at Snape, who pretended he didn't see him, Harry looked away again, Snape WAS injured.  
  
"We had best continue, okay everyone?" He asked his friends, they all nodded, breathing hard, harry set off again.  
  
They had only gone a little ways when Harry noticed something was wrong, someone was missing, there weren't as many footfalls as before. He stopped and everyone stopped too.  
  
"Who's missing? Where's Ira?" there was silence.  
  
"She was right behind me a second ago…" Hermione trailed of looking frightened. Harry opened al the mind links, and the others felt it as he searched for anyone else, not a thing, he shut out their thoughts and concentrated…Ira wasn't anywhere.  
  
"If she's alive she's unconscious, I know her mind well enough to be able to find her from a quarter mile away, and she was with us last time we stopped."  
  
"Should we go back?" Harry paused…they couldn't waste the time, but…  
  
"You lot go back, I'll continue, start coming after me when you find her…"  
  
"NO!" Harry glanced up, it seemed they had all spoken at once.  
  
"I'll tell Sirius what happened, I'll be careful so Voldemort can't hear, I'll do it in code. We're on the right trail so the other groups can follow and find her." Remus said, he stopped, Harry could see his eyes unfocus, then he gasped. "Oh NO! Something's gone wrong he's hurt…Meria and Jerri are missing too, Sirius is…asleep? Unconscious? I-I can't find him…Miranda and her groups are coming, they'll split half come after us half go meet up with the other group. Let's go." Harry took off, he could sense panic, kept tightly in check, brimming in the two adults, they were worried, so was he. What had happened to the Phoenix?  
  
The moon rose high, a half moon, they leaped a stream and Harry killed the snake Voldemort had instructed to delay them. A wall of logs blocked the path, Harry went around, Ron leaped and found himself falling into a pit, Harry caught him with a spell and got him out before he hit the sharp stakes at the bottom.  
  
BOOM! Something exploded, Harry ducked away and rolled as a rock slide started from a steep slope. The rocks came pouring down at them, then he saw some figures running towards them.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!"  
  
"Crucio!"  
  
"Rahimvar!"  
  
Harry leaped up and took the killing curse on his crossed arms just before it hit Remus, he saw blackness and collapsed heavily. Slowly he staggered up, Snape was dueling with one of the death eaters, he looked to his friends.  
  
"Stupefy!" Ron shouted, pointing his wand at a death eater.  
  
"Crucio!" Hermione dodged.  
  
"Pyrocatem!" The death eater put up a shield.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" Harry leaped and knocked them both to the ground, the curse went over their heads, making Ron cry out and Hermione gasp, it hurt that close!  
  
"Freezius!" Hermione yelled.  
  
"Akamob!" Ron shouted (the explosion curse)  
  
"Petrificus Totalus!" Hermione gasped out as she ducked a curse.  
  
"Gannin Arul, Expeliarmus," Harry said, the death eater didn't see the invisible hex coming and was hit, he was flipped through the air as it shot him off like a rocket into the air, his wand came to Harry's hand, the death eater apparated out just before he hit the ground.  
  
The three returned, but now Severus was missing, they called and searched, but he was gone. At last they had to continue again.  
  
They levitated across an abyss that Harry could have sworn was not supposed to be there, crossed another river, ignoring the illusion alligators, again Harry was sure that the river wasn't usually there. Finally they rounded a bend and found themselves face to face with two dozen dementors and three death eaters.  
  
Their enemies were caught completely of guard; one death eater ran down into a huge hole in the side of a hill, the other two were killed, as were the dementors.  
  
"Ron, Hermione, you stand guard, Harry and I'll go down."  
  
"No way Professor! We're coming too!"  
  
"Ron don't argue, no listen to me Hermione, we need someone to tell the others where we went and to stop more enemies coming down behind us." Finally the two consented and Harry and Remus hurried off.  
  
Down the twisting passage they went, over taking and killing the fleeing death eater. Harry could sense the eggs, it hurt, the constant fear and stink of evil and destruction. He found he was breathing hard, eager to kill the eggs, and terrified of Voldemort getting them.  
  
They emerged form the tunnel into a huge cavern, lit with reddish light. For a moment they stood perfectly still, staring in a sort of fascinated horror at the sight in the center of the room.  
  
  
  
  
  
Ooooohhhhh! What do they see? Find out soon! Review please! 


	27. Cgaoter 27 A Shaky World

Thank you everyone who reviewed! Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 27  
  
Voldemort was standing across the room, the only way over there was across a very narrow bridge over a pit of bubbling lava. In front of him on raised platforms were four monstrous eggs. Each of them was about three meters in diameter, two of them were a murky brown with black splotches, the other two were deep red with dark brown splotches, they seemed to pulse, and the stink was horrendous. Harry counted eleven half-rotted bodies around the base of each egg, undoubtedly food for the hatchlings, left by their long dead mothers under a spell to slow the decaying. On either side of their master stood a death eater, none of the three was facing them. Voldemort had an old dark red book in one hand and was flipping through the pages. Harry's first thought was for a gas mask, his second was for the people lying on the floor against the wall far to his right on a tiny ledge sticking out over the lava. Ira, Severus, Meria, and Lan. Harry turned to Remus and began to signal using Order sign language. You go free tem under an invisibility spell, I'll keep Voldemort and his friends busy until you get them out. Then we chase them off if we can and kill the eggs. Harry hurried silently down the slope to the bridge, here he stopped at the edge, Remus was untying the others, he could see the ropes moving. Harry quickly used the invisibility spell on himself and levitated across the bridge, he landed behind a death eater and knocked him out. Using the spell he kept him standing in position as if nothing had happened and crept over to the other, as he passed Voldemort the dark lord spoke.  
  
"Took you long enough to join us Harry." Harry didn't hesitate a second.  
  
"Stupefy!" Voldemort whirled and put up a shield.  
  
"Crucio!" Harry ducked away.  
  
"Rahimvar!" Voldemort blocked it, both fell silent as the fight continued wordlessly. Then the other death eater attacked.  
  
"Avada Ked-" Harry's knife slammed into his forehead and he toppled into the lava-filled abyss. Harry shot a fireball at Voldemort, ducked a curse and danced back, but now they had turned so that Harry was closest to the eggs. Suddenly Harry got an idea, he slipped closer to the eggs, trying to ignore the stink. With one swift move he drew his sword and stabbed in deep into the egg closest, which was marked with a tiny flame…a fire Elemental's egg. He had to dodge and run as smelly reddish liquid which looked like dried blood started pouring out. Voldemort charged, Harry hurled a lightning bolt at the egg and it exploded. Voldemort leaped up beside another egg, Harry recognized its symbol as the one for earth, he hurled another fireball and shot curses at Voldemort, the other apparated away along with the egg.  
  
"You almost had him." Remus said from behind him, Harry only nodded.  
  
"We'll have to destroy the others." Snape said, Remus had awoken all of them, Harry nodded again and they set to work.  
  
"What about the one he got?" Snape asked as they started back out of the cave.  
  
"I my mark on it, it'll hatch and die within a half hour." Harry responded.  
  
"Your mark?" Hermione asked in confusion. Harry held out his right palm, on it was a weird symbol.  
  
"I'm not sure what it means, it just appeared a few days ago, anyhow I can transmit spells through it, very strong spells."  
  
"Wonder boy," Remus muttered, Harry glared back at him. As they emerged into the sunlight a crowd of people came running up, Sirius in the lead.  
  
"Thank goodness! What happened?" Harry launched into a long explanation as Miranda made a portkey back to Hogwarts.  
  
**  
  
Back at Hogwarts something had gone terribly wrong. Every blade of grass on the school grounds had been scorched away, leaving bare earth and ashes.  
  
"Oh no, we leave for one second and this is what happens." Sirius said in horror as they sprinted up the lawn. They knocked on the door, a few seconds later Madam Hooch opened it cautiously, and burst into tears.  
  
**  
  
"So they got the French Ministry, Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, the Polish Ministry, the Japanese Ministry, California's School of Sorcery, Maple Leaf Magical Academy, Palm Tree School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, and King Solomon's School of Magic, then they came here and set fire to everything flammable but were driven off by the Order and the magical protection wards?  
  
"Yes, it's a disaster, twenty-two thousand nine hundred and seventy muggles killed, four thousand and twelve missing. Everything is chaos; the muggle murders have been blamed on a huge terrorist group, but the wizarding community…Voldemort just nipped off for a few minutes after those eggs. The students are scared spit less. You were gone for two days, Voldemort used one of those dark arts time spells, everything to you only seemed like a few minutes." A very distressed Albus Dumbledore said as he paced around his office.  
  
"They're down in the great hall right? I'll go see if I can help any and send all the staff up here. They need a break, just let us prefects take over for a while." Dumbledore looked to Harry strangely.  
  
"Do you have a way to calm them?"  
  
"Yes, and a set of counter-attack plans, they'll be brought here by owl shortly. I had expected something, but not for months, oh well." Harry hurried off, leaving the others staring after him.  
  
"He's clairvoyant, he's got plans for everything! Just let him deal with the students for the rest of today, if he says he can manage than he can." Sirius said as he called the Order to a meeting.  
  
**  
  
Harry opened the door and walked into the great hall, everyone stopped to stare at him. They were all seated on the floor, many had tears of fear in their eyes.  
  
"Harry!" Draco came running over followed by the other prefects. "Where were you? We could have used your help."  
  
"Sorry guys."  
  
"Did you stop him?"  
  
"Yes, four Elementals dead." The other prefects looked confused but didn't say anything. Ron and Hermione came in. Harry looked around.  
  
"They're terrified.".  
  
"Thank you captain obvious!" Draco muttered.  
  
"Ron, Hermione, I think we should finish the story." The other two looked at him, and then nodded. Harry began to conjure up couches, rugs, and soft armchairs. He squeezed them into a small circle and started a fire in the center.  
  
"The Gryffindors know what's up so they can just zone out for a while. A few days ago we got the idea to share stories about Hogwarts. Ron, Hermione, and I will start off, telling about our adventures here, then we'll move on to anyone else with something to share okay?" He got a few doubtful looks, but all the Gryffindors sat forwards eagerly.  
  
Harry began to talk, repeating what the Gryffindor's had already heard for the others. Soon all the students were listening in silence, occasionally breaking out into laughter. The trio made sure to make everything more funny than it had been, these students needed a laugh to two. They all ate dinner as they talked, sitting or lying about on the rugs and soft chairs. Harry used his Voice Power to catch everyone's attention, soon they were all so wrapped up in the story that they didn't even notice when Snape poked his head in to see how things were going. They stopped, finished with their first year, around nine pm. The prefects conjured up huge soft sleeping bags and pillows and sent everyone to sleep, promising to continue the story the next day.  
  
The next morning students from other schools began to arrive, from Beauxbatons, Durmstrang and many others. With them came their prefects and professors that were left. Around noon Dumbledore found time to come down.  
  
"Harry you are a saint. This is perfect. All the students form the attacked schools are coming here. I've got a huge load of work to do, I'll be taking some of the prefects, could you keep everyone else busy?" He asked.  
  
"Sure, for days. Is this all the students who are coming?"  
  
"Yes, tomorrow morning another hundred or so will come, ending around noon and starting again the next day."  
  
"Okay, from breakfast until lunch everyone will just hang out. After lunch we'll have "classes", taught by prefects. After dinner we'll continue with the stories."  
  
"Great idea that, and with the adventure's you've had you'll never finish."  
  
"Makes me wonder just what I've gotten myself into."  
  
"Just being yourself Harry, thanks for the plans. We're trying out best, but Voldemort is attacking nearly constantly." And with that Dumbledore left.  
  
After lunch the classes started, the great hall was set up in 'classrooms" with curtains in between. Harry taught defense. After dinner everyone gathered again, and the trio began on their second year.  
  
**  
  
Two days later it was over, the attacks had stopped, Hogwarts had 482 new students. Everything had been expanded again, and the trio had finished the story of their third year. They had made it take a long time; they didn't even have a chance to start into their fourth. It had done miracles; the students all loved the three adventurers, who quickly became the most popular students in the school.  
  
"Not that it's bad mind you," Ron said as they escaped from the ever present press of younger students wanting to meet The Harry Potter. "But really, why do all the girls have to go for Harry and Draco?" Ira covered a grin at Harry's grimace, Hermione glared at Ron who gulped. "It's not like I want the attention but they're annoying, can't you two tell them to stop?" Draco caught up to them in time to hear.  
  
"No, they don't listen, they don't go after you only because they know you're taken." He glanced at Hermione and Ron who were walking side by side.  
  
"And who's saying Harry isn't?" Ira asked with a growl, Harry edged away.  
  
"Hey I didn't say nothing, uh oh, look out, trouble at four o'clock." They all ducked away, but not before Parkinson, Zambizi, Bulstrode, and two horrid new students, Sara Dimorvich and Kelly Veritunziki, had seen them. They all met in the entrance hall, the marauders on their way to Care of Magical Creatures, which, unfortunately, they ahd with the other five.  
  
"Well well, if it isn't the stupendously stupid Marauders." Pansy said nastily, nose in the air.  
  
"Never thought I'd see /pure bloods/ hanging around with garbage like Bushy head Granger and the beggar Weaselys. A sad come down, you should find better friends Malfoy, this trash will lead you into the sewer with them." Kelly said in a horribly snooty voice. The Marauders held their tempers and allowed the others to pass, then drew their wands.  
  
"Imagus hair (a color) spiky." They all said, each focusing on one of the retreating heads and imagining what they wanted to happen. They lifted their wands, now each of the girls had a different color hair and all were spiked. Of course it was only an illusion but it was a good one.  
  
  
  
  
  
Review please, lots of action in the next chapter! 


	28. Chapter 28 Powers & Elves & Laughs

Disclaimer: the jokes (most of them, a friend told me a dozen or so) belong to either www.thelaughweb.com, www.arkpatent.com/cpl/joke.htm, or www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/2099/j_lawyer.html, check out these sites!  
  
I own the plot and all new characters, I you would like to use them email me, other characters are, sadly, JKR's, though not for much longer if she doesn't hurry it up with the next book!  
  
  
  
Chapter 28 Powers & Elves & Laughs  
  
"Potions, feel like I'm going to the gallows." Ron said in disgust as they made their way down the hall.  
  
"You are."  
  
"No it's you who won't last, he hates you more."  
  
"Took you long enough to figure it out, will I survive?"  
  
"Be stout of heart and brave in deed and you shall live on."  
  
"Okay now I'm officially scared. You sound like sir Cadogan."  
  
"Harry Potter scared! Call the press quick!"  
  
"Not funny flame head."  
  
"I think it was."  
  
"You'd think Voldemort dancing the Macarena was funny."  
  
"Wouldn't it be?"  
  
"That would make me run and hide. He's mad enough, don't need to make it worse."  
  
"You know maybe you don't even need wand to kill him, just bash him over the head with a beater's club, get Morgan to lend you one for a bit."  
  
"That's the most originally obscure idea yet."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"It wasn't a compliment." Harry said, Hermione shook her head and smiled, Ira was giggling, he pushed open the door to Potions and they all took their seats.  
  
"Today we are making liquid fire. As this is an exceptionally dangerous potion it will not be taken outside this rooms and you will need your dragon hide gloves. If I see anyone messing about they will get detention until they graduate! Now get to work!" Snape snarled at the class, Harry grimaced and took out his things as Snape wrote the ingredients on the board. Soon the room was full of hissing caldrons, which occasionally belched flame of smoke. Neville's froze over.  
  
"Honestly Longbottom this is a /fire/ potion, think /heat/ not ice, fifteen points from Gryffindor for carelessness." Harry glared venomously at Snape. His potion was yellow, it was supposed to be orange. As he looked around he noticed that many other people's caldrons were freezing as well. *What are they doing wrong? Wait a sec! Foxglove juice mixed with mercury and sap from the Palm Vine is the basic ingredients of the freezing potion! If you dump one in right after the other it'll freeze, you have to add them more carefully.* Harry began slowly adding, but it was getting cold, he glanced at the board. *Vampire bat saliva? Oh of course! To counteract the effects of the Palm Vine when it touches the mercury and Foxglove juice! I've got to change adding Palm Vine juice then bat saliva then more Palm Vine juice!*  
  
At the end of class the only correct Potion was Harry's. Snape looked like a time bomb as he examined Harry's potion. When he straightened Harry thought that if looks could kill he'd be dead and rotted away by now, Snape looked like he was going to start hyperventilating form pure fury.  
  
"1st time ever Potter, the /last/ person, even after Longbottom, who'd I'd ever think could /possibly/ do more than mess up every potion ever invented. Five points from Gryffindor, you're so hopeless the only way you could have done that was to cheat!" He whirled to leave, Harry felt something inside him snap.  
  
"I did not!" Snape stopped, everything went silent, and slowly Snape turned. "I didn't cheat. How could I? What's wrong with getting a potion right?"  
  
"There's no way you could have done that!" Snape snarled, Harry, standing behind his caldron, drew himself up a bit, eyes glowing green.  
  
"How would you know? You told us to make the potion and I did! And I made it right! How could I have cheated? This potion isn't in our books right? How?"  
  
"I don't know but you are incapable of making any potion correctly!" Snape roared, trying to tower over Harry and subdue him, but Harry was just as tall as Snape and he was furious.  
  
"That's not true! So I can make potions! What's wrong with that? Does it hurt your /pride/ to know that a Gryffindor can make a potion your Slytherins can't? I made it by figuring out how the ingredients had to be added! That's not cheating!" Harry snapped, holding his anger in check, for a moment they both stood there, Harry refusing to back down. "You know I didn't cheat…professor. I see no reason for your taking those points away either. Why is it so horrible that I get it right? Unless I am very much mistaken we're supposed to try and make it correctly. You yourself said it was correct, are you going to deny it now? I did not cheat!" There was another long pause, then, "why do you /always/ take points form Gryffindor for things we didn't do? Huh? It isn't like it would kill you not to for once! You know there's no way I could have cheated and yet you take points away for something that never happened! You're accusing me of cheating and I am saying that I did not!" A short pause, " I never cheated professor, I simply made the potion correctly and there's nothing wrong with doing that!" Harry snarled, his voice steadily rising with anger. "Are you /scared/ to admit that a, gods forbid, /Gryffindor/ got something right in your class for once? How come you don't accuse anyone else but me of cheating? You don't accuse other students of cheating when they get a potion right! WHY?" Harry gripped the table tightly, knuckles turning white, there was a long drawn out silence in which Snape's ragged breathing was audible, then his eyes jerked to Harry's hand, Harry's fingers were melting the table without him noticing. Just then the bell rang.  
  
"Get out! And five more points form Gryffindor for arguing with a professor- "  
  
"who is wrong and he knows it! You know I didn't cheat and you know that my potion was right! Don't deny it! Is it going to kill you to admit that you! You! Were. Wrong. For Once?" Harry roared, the class gasped as his things leaped and shot into his bag, the caldron poured itself out into the sink and bag leaped onto Harry's shoulder and he stormed out, slamming the door so hard behind him that it rocked violently on its hinges, as it snapped shut every metal faucet in the entire room melted. The class stared at the door, the handle was glowing red and the door was smoking. In the table where his hand had been was the smoking imprint of four fingers and the table was bent at his side where it had gotten hot and his weight had bent it, it was still warm to the touch.  
  
News of what had happened spread like wildfire around the school, Harry ignored it all. But that same day in Divination something else happened.  
  
Professor Trelwany had just predicted Harry's death once again, he was still angry about the thing with Snape.  
  
"Well obviously that's wrong." He heard himself say loudly.  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Asked a shocked professor Trelwany.  
  
"It's wrong. If every one of your death predictions had been right I would have died and been reincarnated over a hundred times. And professor, could you please stop predicting my death, it doesn't scare me in the slightest and it is a little annoying." The class went quiet, was another seen like the one with Snape going to be repeated? The bell rang, Harry was the first one out of the room.  
  
**  
  
For weeks this went on, every potion Snape assigned them Harry got right, and what was more he finished well before anyone else. His potions were quicker to make and stronger than anyone else's. He rewrote two of the Potions, adding the ingredients in a different order, got the same result, and with twice the effects, Snape was furious. By the end of every class Harry and Snape were snarling and shouting at each other. Harry's sudden brilliance in Potions was driving Snape mad. Never once did Harry not have the final say, and never once did he back down. Each day by the end of class he was on his feet, his eerily green eyes so angry that Snape wouldn't look at him. His eyes had taken on a color and power like they had had when Voldemort had been torturing him. Brilliant emerald with a mesmeric quality that burned and burned into your mind and you could not look away but were so terrified that you would do anything to escape. One time Snape made the mistake of being close to a wall when the argument began and looking Harry in the eye , Harry, by the end of the argument, Harry Snape almost cowering against the wall, very pale, his eyes wide…Harry had only taken a single step forwards the entire time, but he seemed to grow and his will power beat at the professor with such a terrifying intensity that Snape was left shivering afterwards and was still shaking whenever Harry looked at him by dinner.  
  
In divination Harry turned the class into a joke. He never once failed to do his homework and get everything right, but he dismissed every death prediction the professor made wit a roll of his eyes and a snort of laughter, it made her furious.  
  
And the weird occurrences didn't stop there. In Defense his spells had taken on so much power that he had to concentrate on controlling them, not just performing them. Professor Figg was ecstatic when, taking a kind test in which the students was left alone, tied up, in a dark room and somewhere in the room was another person getting ready to do the imperius curse on them, Harry turned the top of the stone floor into lava, untied his bonds magically, and turned the tables, stunning the person, who, thankfully, was just an illusion.  
  
The special auror training had started; they did curses, unarmed self- defense, and gave wand less magic a try. In this Harry outdid even the teacher, an Order agent by the name of Clarissa. She had an odd disability; she was horrible at magic with a wand, and excellent at it without one. By the end of a week Harry had mastered every spell learn from 1st year to 3rd wandlessly. And the spells he did do with a wand had taken on frightening levels of power and intensity. A simple stunning spell sent his opponent in a highly controlled duel (the only spells were stunning, jelly legs, and body bind) flying fifteen feet backwards. When they learned the extending sensory perception charm in each of its forms, all senses or just one, he succeeded in making Ron's hearing so acute that the other passed out when someone dropped a quill from the level of noise, and was deaf for three days.  
  
In all of his classes Harry magical abilities continued to increase, he mastered human transfiguration in two days and went on to attempting to make himself into a multimagus, a wizard who had more than one animal form. McGonagal was so surprised she patted him on the back and gave Gryffindor thirty points.  
  
And then there was again potions. Harry fought hard to keep his temper, displaying un-unusual amount of patience. He stopped yelling at Snape and simply argued his points out with the professor as if they were equals. He accepted all punishments without any sign of anger and turned in all his homework and extra work on time and perfect. At detentions he worked diligently, but never missed the opportunity to set up a prank. His calm but strangely intense attitude during class, along with the uncanny sparkle in his emerald eyes and the way he was constantly rearranging potions and reading ahead into seventh year and above potions, was driving the professor up the wall.  
  
Voldemort's attacks ceased abruptly after a whole month of constant terror. The Order breathed a sigh of relief and set to work healing its wounded and getting ready for the next round. The death toll had risen to sixty four thousand dead and nearly ten thousand missing and presumed dead, and that was just the muggles, squibs, werewolves, giants, and elves. Just over fourteen thousand wizards and witches were dead or missing as well. Considering the fact that the wizarding population, though it had grown in the last three decades, was barely ten million, this was a catastrophe of unprecedented proportions. The papers were filled with the tales of horror from survivors and gut wrenching pictures of mutilated corpses. Nearly every student in the school had lost family, the Marauders, all of them, took up the job of comforting students with renewed energy. They were the most well liked students in the school, everyone knew about the Marauders, their heroism and adventures, their kindness, and of course their pranks. Almost every day for a whole month a dozen to the record of forty-nine black owls swooped into the hall. The Marauders kept up pranks that did humiliate anyone overly much and a constant strong of hilarious arguments and jokes. It was now late February and the Marauders, while high on some powdery white stuff called sugar, invented a new type of candy, Sour Penguins, so named because they turned the eater into a penguin for a few minutes. They also invented Hop Pops, which made you hop about with surprising speed for five minutes, a great favorite because they came in five flavors, lime, cotton candy, cherry, apple, raspberry, and fizz, (fizz bubbled in your mouth as you ate it) these two became quick additions to Zonko's, bringing in quite a profit.  
  
**  
  
Draco, Ira, and Harry was sitting in his rooms, Harry making a knife handle, Ira and Draco reading, when Ron and Hermione came running in.  
  
"Guess what guys!" All three looked up in surprise at their excited tone of voice.  
  
"What? Snape smile or something?"  
  
"No that'd be scary Harry."  
  
"Well then what has you two all wound up? You're acting like you would if Filch started going around dropping dung bombs."  
  
"If only he would…hey!"  
  
"Good one Draco, illusion Filch dung bombs Hogwarts School. I like it, when do we start?"  
  
"You guys!" Hermione said exasperated, "there's to be a huge meeting tomorrow tonight, all the ministry officials from every country in Europe, and reps from all the countries of the Americas and Asia! And because we're prefects, the BEST prefects, we're going to be there!" Ira dropped her book on Harry's head.  
  
"NO! You're kidding right?"  
  
"Absolutely not. Since all of the new students there's seven prefects per house, twenty eight prefects, we'll just be sitting about along the walls, except for us!" (She was referring to the fact that Ira and Draco were now prefects as well after the arrival of the new students)  
  
"And what do we do? Collect donations? Hand out flyers? Play pranks? Fly? Dance? Sing? Or Cook?" Draco asked, putting emphasis on the pranks.  
  
"None of the above!" Ron said, gesturing energetically. "You see they've all heard about us, and our work with helping the students through, and I quote the Lord Phoenix, "this time of crisis and loss", they'll be comparing us to prefects in other schools and such, so they all want to meet us get it?"  
  
"So we get to suck up to important people all evening? Perhaps I'll turn in my prefect badge." Ira growled in disgust, Ron faltered, he'd been expecting excitement. Hermione stepped in.  
  
"No, no, not at all, WE get something even better!" Draco, Ira, and Harry all snorted at that.  
  
"What, dear Hermione, could /possibly/ be /even/ better then getting to have fake smiles plastered on our faces all evening while we bob up and down like ducks to a crowd of pompous dudes like Percy Weasely? Do we get to kiss their feet as well?" Harry said, his voice dripping sarcasm. Draco and Ira howled with laughter. Hermione got mad.  
  
"Would you three stop it for a moment! This IS interesting! AND it's important, AND it will be fun! They're discussing a partial joining of the Wizarding World and the Elvin Kingdoms. I've got no idea how they'd be joined, or what it would do, but true elves are powerful and Voldemort has caused horrible destruction with them as well. The Order managed to save the major capital called Elfara but many towns, villages, and several small cities were destroyed. Over two thousand elves died, there were only about seventy thousand to begin with. Come on! All the prefects have to go to an emergency meeting about this!" There was an instant flurry of motion. They put their stuff away and hurried out of the rooms, Draco down a secret passageway to his own dorm and the Gryffindors to theirs.  
  
"All Gryffindor students please listen closely. There is an emergency prefects meeting, no this is not about another attack. You'll find out what it is about soon enough, a very exciting and opportunistic occasion has come up for the entire wizarding world and the meeting is to be held here at Hogwarts tomorrow evening. This has to do with an alliance with the elves. Please behave yourselves while we are gone, in the next few days Hogwarts will have to set an example for all wizarding schools while the heads of the Ministries of every country are here. Thank you!" Harry lowered his wand and hurried from the common room after the others.  
  
By the next day the school was in turmoil, all classes had been cancelled to prepare. The staff, prefects, and seventh years spent the entire day giving the great hall a thorough going-over. One big round table was made with a smaller round table inside. At the center table would sit only the most important humans and elves, each Minister would bring three of his best with him, they would sit behind him at the other table. The elf delegation would be given only the best. The floors were polished, tables shined and spelled to magically remove anything, food prepared with exacting work by only the best house elf cooks, the ceiling was re spelled so it was even more magnificent than ever, candles polished and re-lit with faintly scented new wax, millions of them floating in the air. Harry got the idea to re-make every chair to be used until it was fit for a king. The Marauders hurled their creative genius into this activity with splendid results. Gold, silver, copper, inlays in every one, each with its own pattern. The outside table's chairs had deep blue or purple, the inside table's chairs green. The chairs were soft and cushy and smelled very faintly the same as the candles. The tablecloths were so thin they were see- through, made from the finest cloth and woven with gold in intricate runes and designs. The plates were gold with green, blue, or purple gems around the rim. The silverware was also gold, each utensil with a gem on it, same color as the plate's. There were elegant goblets made of diamond, tainted green for the center table and blue or purple for the outer, like everything else they had a golden rim and base. The diamond was cut so that it sparkled and glittered, flickering in the candlelight. A new rug was placed leading from the door to the table, a deep red with gold stripes along the sides. The prefects would be sitting interspaced between the professors, but the Marauders arranged things so they sat together. The Gold, Silver, Purple, Gray, and red patrols were all on duty, emerald robes figures standing to attention in the shadows, seeing everything about them, the Reds and Grays were positioned outside the castle for when people started to arrive and six Purple's stood on each side of the door. There would be ten thousand or so humans and elves attending, everything was arranged so that there was space, but it was still a bit cramped, but not bad. Dumbledore informed them that the King and Queen of the Elves, Galiahara and Antarosio, would be attending themselves with their royal guard, two highest generals, the three headmasters of the elf schools, and a score others, including ten young elves who would be joining Hogwarts, the other twenty or so would arrive the next evening. Until them the Marauders would be responsible for these ten, the students would know they were there, but not get a chance to really speak with them until after the sorting, until then the Marauders would show them around and teach them the ways of the castle.  
  
Once they were done the prefects hurried to their rooms to prepare. They had all agreed on the same robes. Dark purple, nearly black, pants and shirts with long loose sleeves, dark purple robes, open front, with a gold chain at the throat, dark purple belt, gold buckle, dark purple high collar with a gold base, everything decorated with gold, all would wear their prefect badge. Their clothes were charmed so that the pants and shirt were made from very light cool cloth, the robes from slightly heavier material. The Marauders met in their secret rooms before going down. All of the prefects had agreed to wear a long gold chain, the Marauders had wanted to put the Marauder insignia on it, but had been "persuaded" otherwise. All of them were very nervous, they spent a tense five minutes polishing boots and watching the girls adjusting hairstyles. Harry had washed his and tied all of it but the few locks around his face, which weren't long enough, back in a short ponytail, Draco and Ron did likewise. They also each wore a tiny gold loop in their left ear, this was their form of communication, they could speak to each other through it by touching it between thumb and pinky and whispering a message, all the others would hear it. Hermione had tied her bushy hair back in an elaborate bun, Ira brushed her waist-length multi shades of gold hair until it was like silk and charmed it to stay that way and not get messy and put it up in a bun even more decorative than Hermione's, they seemed to be competing for the best hair-do. Both wore tiny gems the same color as their eyes in each ear.  
  
Finally it was time to go, the prefects took a secret passage down, not wanting to go through the common room, they arrived on time and took their seats, thought hey remained standing like the professors who were just as dressed up as they were. Harry, getting impatient, folded his arms his arms into his robe sleeves and closed his eyes briefly, sending out his mind he encountered those of the approaching ministry officials, now just getting out of elegant silver carriages with gold about them and white horses in elegant blue and gold harness. This would be a trail for him, none of them were to be told of his ability, but then he must endure all their thoughts all evening long. He had spent three hours in meditation, preparing himself and was as ready as he could be, his shields were strong and firm, hopefully if tempers got hot and thoughts stronger he would be able to keep them up, or down a bit, as he wished.  
  
Timing had been crucial; everyone had been given a different, time, and each two minutes apart. The elves had been placed to come at the same time as the English ministry, last. Each time a new group entered Dumbledore, wearing amazing purple and gold robes, and the Lord Phoenix, welcomed them. Each time the prefects and staff would bow and shake hands with the leader of the party, it was not nessecary to do so with the others, then turn back to the door to watch for the next group. Harry watched closely, all of them were apparently astonished to be in presence of the Lord Phoenix and impressed with the Order Agents stationed about. He observed that Miranda knew half of the names and titles, Sirius the other half, they played off each other so neither had had to learn it all, Dumbledore was also aided by them and it was he who had memorized little facts which would compliment each.  
  
Finally nearly everyone was here, then the English ministry, still headed by Fudge, but supposedly not for much longer since the vote to remove him was almost done being voted on. Harry and all the others gave him the coldest looks they could manage. Then came the elf delegation.  
  
The Queen and King came first, then in perfect precession the two generals, two assistants, the heads of schools, s few more assistants, then the ten elf students. The new students were placed so that they were seated intermingled with the Marauders. Harry ended up with the Princess, Kylara da Ashixhum on his left, Ron after her, and a cousin of one of the generals, Larquan da Giverhan on his right with Ira down after him. They waited patiently until the speeches were over, it took nearly an hour, Harry could see the bored-to-death looks on the faces of the two on either side of him, his eyes met Larquan's during a particularly boring one, he gave a tiny roll of his eyes, Larquan flicked his eyes in agreement. Harry had never seen elves before, they had very long fingers, slightly more slanted eyes than a humans, a little flatter, pointed chins, very thin eyebrows which curled up just a little at the end, long dark eyes lashes, slightly cat-like dark eyes large pointed ears, thin lips, straight thin noses, and they were a bit smaller than humans. Kylara wore a gray dress with silver and pale gold beads; Larquan wore dark green with thin gold threads woven in patterns at the cuffs and down the front, the deep green matched his dark green eyes. Finally everything was over and they began to eat.  
  
"Welcome to Hogwarts, and may I suggest you try the fizzing raspberry juice, it's much better than the cider." He added as he saw Larquan reaching for his goblet.  
  
"Thanks…Harry right? I didn't catch your full name, it's rather long." He looked a little ashamed, Harry smiled, Dumbledore had had to read Harry's full name, Harry Emrys James Gryffindor Ambrosius Potter each time he was introduced, he'd gotten very tired of it, at least he didn't add Last Royal Aaron, the Thunder King.  
  
"That's fine, just call me Harry, these are Ira, Ron, Hermione and Draco."  
  
The evening progressed slowly, the elves had been working on their English but it was still a little off, the Marauders kept up a constant string of jokes and amusing arguments.  
  
"Are you vegetarian?" Ira asked as she saw that none of the elves had taken any meat.  
  
"Yes, we eat a little meat occasionally, some of us more than others, but I'm entirely vegetarian." Larquan said, Harry glanced around, a few of the elves were eating a little chicken, but that was all. He touched the collar of his robes and loosened it; these were really much to tight.  
  
"So what was your school like?" he asked the other two.  
  
"It was big, not so big as Hogwarts, but close. It too was a castle, made of lighter stone than this one and not so high with the towers. It was very nice, but we didn't have a ceiling like this one." Princess Kylara said, glancing up appreciatively.  
  
"Harry…the same Harry Potter who defeated Voldemort?" One of the elves further down the table next to Draco asked, Harry remembered his name as Harugin.  
  
"Yes, I was a year old." He replied rather shortly in a tone that said not to ask questions.  
  
"Neat, hey is it true that you're a member of the Order of the Phoenix?"  
  
"No, I'm not a member."  
  
"We hear all about the fights and such, we do get the daily prophet, nicely done, it's been in the Prophet that you're a really good fighter."  
  
"Thanks…I wasn't aware anyone had written about it…hmm."  
  
"Are the death eaters tough?"  
  
"Sure, but sometimes I wonder who they're more afraid of, Voldemort or their opponents, I haven't done all that much fighting, but yeah it can get pretty nasty. Hey what's the difference between a death eaters and a bucket full of shit?" The elves all traded looks and shrugged, looking at him expectantly.  
  
"The bucket." Harry said, there were a few chuckles around; from behind him he heard a soft chuckle form the Order agent standing in the shadows. Encouraged the Marauders took turns sprouting off jokes.  
  
Q: What do you call 100 death eaters at the bottom of the ocean?  
  
A: A good start!  
  
Q: How can you tell when a death eater is lying?  
  
A: His lips are moving.  
  
Q: What do have when a death eater is buried up to his neck in sand?  
  
A: Not enough sand.  
  
Q: Do you know how to save a drowning death eater?  
  
A1: Take your foot off his head.  
  
A2: No, of course not, why should I bother?  
  
Q: What is the definition of a shame (as in "that's a shame")?  
  
A: When a busload of death eaters goes off a cliff.  
  
Q: What is the definition of a "crying shame"?  
  
A: There was an empty seat.  
  
Q. Where can you always find the best death eaters?  
  
A. In the cemetery  
  
Q. What's the difference between a death eater and a vampire?  
  
A. A vampire only sucks blood at night.  
  
A man (Draco) went to a brain store to get some brain for dinner. He sees a sign remarking on the quality of professional brain offered at this particular brain store. So he asks the butcher (Ira)  
  
Draco: "How much for Engineer brain?"  
  
Ira: "3 dollars an ounce."  
  
Draco: "How much for Doctors brain?"  
  
Ira: "6 dollars an ounce."  
  
Draco: "How much for death eater brain?"  
  
Ira: "100 dollars an ounce."  
  
Draco: "Why is death eater brain so much more?"  
  
Ira: "Do you know how many death eaters you need to kill to get one ounce of brain?"  
  
By this time all ten of the elves were doubled over in laughter, the hall was slowly falling silent as everyone turned to look at them, and the Marauders were arguing.  
  
"You that's probably not true."  
  
"Yeah, impossible, they don't have brains."  
  
"Especially the highest ranking ones."  
  
"How would you know?"  
  
"You remember the last time they attacked?"  
  
"Creamed 'em."  
  
"But still technically that joke can't be right."  
  
"Nor the bus one, why would 50 or so death eaters get on a muggle bus?"  
  
"They were chasing the muggles?"  
  
"Then how'd it go over the cliff?"  
  
"Voldemort was driving."  
  
"He can drive!? World beware!"  
  
"Alright fine he tried to."  
  
"Why would he be on the bus anyway?"  
  
"Cause he wanted to learn to drive?"  
  
"But the joke doesn't mention him."  
  
"He must 'a bailed out."  
  
"Through the front window?"  
  
"Sure, wanted to cushion the landing."  
  
"Of a muggle bus?"  
  
"Well sure, why not? His people were on board."  
  
"Why not a side window?"  
  
"Since when did muggle buses have side windows, especially these days, big enough to jump through?"  
  
"It's impossible."  
  
"Maybe he wasn't wearing the seat belt."  
  
"Do buses have seat belts?"  
  
"No, I was on one once, they don't."  
  
"That's ridiculous! They go zooming about at a hundred miles per hour without any safety precautions?"  
  
"So do Quidditch players."  
  
"Quidditch players always got plenty of people with wands about."  
  
"But the drivers seat does have a seat belt."  
  
"So the driver gets a seat belt and no one else?"  
  
"Yep, that's muggles."  
  
"That's stupider than…whatever that muggle sport is, sky diving, a sure way to the grave."  
  
"Sky diving is fun."  
  
"If you're already dead."  
  
"No I mean it, free falling is fun."  
  
"Do they have a parachute?"  
  
"Only the smart ones."  
  
"What about the others?"  
  
"Splat."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Ick."  
  
"Not fun."  
  
"No, but not many are that dumb."  
  
"Then how come so many have died?"  
  
"They were trying to win the Darwin award?"  
  
"The what?"  
  
"It's a muggle award, in America, the most creative, stupid, way of snuffing yourself."  
  
"On purpose?"  
  
"No, this is just stupidity."  
  
"They get an award for that?"  
  
"Actually it's for removing themselves from the gene pool."  
  
The argument continued for five full minutes, now everyone was starting to chuckle and laugh, the ten elves were choking with mirth, the Marauders had straight faces and were at this point trying to decide which was better to be, and earth worm or a spider.  
  
"An earth worm."  
  
"You're crazy Harry, those die so easily."  
  
"Not the Australian type, those can be twelve feet long."  
  
"That's a snake."  
  
"No they're earth worms, you can hear them move underground."  
  
"Ew!"  
  
"Spiders are good."  
  
"Ack! No!"  
  
"Unless of course you have Arachnophobia."  
  
Most of the people in the hall were shaking their heads and chuckling as the conversation went back to death eaters.  
  
A death eater died in poverty and many barristers of the city subscribed to a fund for his funeral. The Lord Chief Justice of Orbury was asked to donate a shilling.  
  
"Only a shilling?" said the Justice,  
  
"Only a shilling to bury an death eater? Here's a guinea; go and bury 20 more of them."  
  
"You seem to have more than the average share of intelligence for a man of your background," sneered the death eater at a prisoner on the stand.  
  
"If I wasn't under this damn spell, I'd return the compliment," replied the prisoner.  
  
"Now wait a sec Ron! How'd you hear about that?" Harry asked in astonishment, he'd thought no one knew about that little episode in the torture chamber between him and his captors.  
  
"Fred. He heard it from one of the other agents, a death eater they were questioning told them about it."  
  
"Grrr."  
  
"Alright, here are some new ones, the dumbest things death eaters and their master ever said." Ira said to get their attention; they all joined in, much to their audience's delight.  
  
Voldemort: So you were gone until you returned?  
  
Death eater addressing a prisoner: You say that the stairs go down to the basement?  
  
Prisoner: Yes.  
  
Death eater: And these stairs, do they also go up?  
  
Death eater: Have you lived in this town all your life?  
  
Prisoner: Not yet.  
  
Harry: The National Institute of Health (NIH) announced last week that they were going to start using death eaters instead of rats in their experiments. Naturally, the Bar  
  
Association was outraged, and filed suit, but the NIH presented some very good  
  
reasons for the switch.  
  
1) The lab assistants were becoming very attached to their little rats. This emotional  
  
involvement was interfering with the research being conducted. No such attachment  
  
could form for a death eater.  
  
2) Death eaters are easier to throw away, your associates don't get mad if you kill them..  
  
3) Death eaters are much cheaper to care for and the humanitarian societies won't jump  
  
all over you no matter what you're studying.  
  
4) There are some things even a rat won't do.  
  
However, sometimes it very hard to extrapolate our test results to human beings.  
  
Hermione: How many death eaters does it take to change a light bulb?  
  
Ira: Three, one to do it and two to report him to Voldie for malpractice.  
  
Ron: It only takes one death eater to change your light bulb to his light bulb.  
  
Harry: You won't find a death eater who can change a light bulb. Now, if you're looking for a death eater to curse the light bulb...  
  
Draco: What's Bill 370?  
  
Harry: 370.01 Any person with a valid Rodent hunting license may also hunt and harvest attorneys for recreational and sport (non-commercial) purposes.  
  
Ron: 370.02 Taking of death eaters with traps or deadfalls is permitted. The use of  
  
currency as bait, however, is prohibited.  
  
Hermione: 370.03 The willful killing of death eaters with a motor vehicle is prohibited, unless such a vehicle has spikes on the back and is being driven in reverse. If a death eater is "accidentally" struck by a motor vehicle, the dead death eater should be removed to the roadside, and the vehicle should proceed to the nearest car wash.  
  
Ira: 370.04 It is permitted for muggles to chase, herd or harvest death eaters from a power boat, helicopter or aircraft.  
  
Harry: 370.05 Bag Limits per day:  
  
Already injured death eaters-200  
  
Two-faced death eater spies-100  
  
Backstabbing death eater assassins -300  
  
Horn-rimmed cutthroats -200  
  
Minutiae-advocating chickens-400  
  
Larquan: "Full-time death eaters UNLIMITED!" the Marauders stared, and then they started applauding.  
  
"Bravo! Well done!" Harry said, applauding loudly.  
  
"Excellent one isn't he?" Ron said, smiling widely.  
  
"Wonderful sense of humor!" Ira said, slapping him on the back.  
  
The entire hall stared, the laughter broke out and cheers and applause, al the elves and the Marauders turned to stare in shock at the crowd, the Marauders pretending they hadn't known everyone was listening, the elves truly shocked, they'd been laughing to hard to notice. Harry saw Sirius grinning form ear to ear and applauding, Dumbledore was laughing, even SNAPE was smiling and clapping, though he tried to scowl when he saw Harry looking, but he couldn't help grinning. The Marauders all traded looks, shrugged, stood and bowed, then sat back down again.  
  
Slowly the meal continued, everyone glancing at the Marauders from time to time, the Marauders were chatting away with their new fellow students as if they weren't the center of the attention and nothing the least bit unusual; had just happened.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Did you like it? Please review! Next chapter hopefully coming soon! 


	29. Chapter 29 A Death Eater Returns

1 Chapter 29  
  
The thirty elves were sorted at a banquet in their honor the day after the gathering. An alliance had been agreed upon between elves and humans. They were joining forces to fight Voldemort, who had started attacking again.  
  
Harry woke early, 2:50 am, from a dream about death eaters attacking some town, from the language and scenery he guessed it had occurred, or would occur, in Spain, sometime that day. He sent Hedwig with the dream recorder to Sirius before trying to go back to sleep, but he couldn't. Images of Royal Aaron's in flight, in battle formation, and their war song, echoed through his mind incessantly. With a tired sigh he rolled over and got up, as he stood up he glanced out the window…and shuddered at the feeling of dread that washed over him, *not much longer now, soon they will come* he thought, soon the Elementals would hatch.  
  
Everything was rather subdued that morning at breakfast, last night fifteen wizards and witches had been kidnapped, tortured, and killed, their bodies had been found in a marsh over in the USA. Two Order agents had been badly injured and one killed in an attempt to stop a group of death eaters from attacking a hotel in Moscow.  
  
"Hello, sleep well?" Harry glanced up at, Larquan and Ron as they sat down.  
  
"No not very well. What do we have first?"  
  
"New schedule remember? History." Ron said, Harry and Larquan groaned.  
  
"Did you bring a pillow?" Larquan asked, reaching into a pocket and bringing out a shrunk one, Harry smiled.  
  
"Yeah, and a sleeping bag, those seats are uncomfortable to sleep in.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione said, glowering at him.  
  
"Ron tried to bring a mattress!" Harry protested, Ron grinned sheepishly at Hermione as she turned her glare on him. Just then Ira came in and sat down.  
  
"Hey Herm, I brought your pillow too incase you want it." Hermione threw up her hands in exasperation as everyone laughed.  
  
"Harry why aren't you eating?" Sam asked, concerned.  
  
"Not hungry."  
  
"What's wrong?" Neville asked.  
  
"Nothing, I'm just not hungry."  
  
"Harry what was this dream about?" Harry frowned at Harugin, the elf was to perceptive.  
  
"Some time today death eater's will be attacking some small town in Spain."  
  
"Anything else?" Kylara inquired, the elves had quickly found out about Harry's dreams, and found them interesting, though they pitied him for it.  
  
"The Minister of Magic will finally be removed, elections in three weeks." Everyone stared, then burst into cheers. Just then Dumbledore stood up to speak.  
  
"Silence please. Now as some of the Gryffindors have already found out, the English Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge has finally been removed from office. Those running for his position will be announced in one week, elections two weeks later. Because of the unusual times we now live in those sixteen or older will be allowed to vote. Elections are going to be held on the grounds, the people of Hogsmead will be going there to vote, those students who are old enough will be allowed to go as well." He sat back down amid uproarious applause and cheers.  
  
  
  
**  
  
"My dad's going to run, think he's got a chance?" Ron asked in an excited whisper three days later.  
  
"Yes he certainly does." Harry said, causing all his friends to look at him.  
  
"Know something we don't Harry?" Seamus asked, Harry just smiled.  
  
"Come on Harry tell us!"  
  
"You know who's going to win don't you! Tell us!"  
  
"Harry my dad's running! Come on tell us!"  
  
"Tell us, tell us, tell us!"  
  
"Okay okay, but first you have to promise not to tell anyone, got it?"  
  
"Cross me heart!"  
  
"Promise!"  
  
"Okay, I'll tell you, Ron your dad's got a 80% chance of winning with things as they currently are, but the Order is suspicious that one of the death eaters, Savral Ginonshi, is actually Lucious Malfoy in disguise, he's going to try and run for Minister, never revealing his identity. So DON'T TELL DRACO!!!" They all stared for a few seconds in astonishment.  
  
"Why would he do that?" Ron finally asked.  
  
"Because if he isn't elected he can go back to Voldemort and become Mr. Malfoy again and serve him, or he can get rid of the disguise. Savral will just vanish, and he'll return to the wizarding world, claiming that the person who was killed was a death eater impersonating him while they held him prisoner and that he saw them kill Savral as well."  
  
On the election day all the students sixteen and above were released from their afternoon class to go vote, Harry and his friends of course voted for Mr. Weasely.  
  
Just as Harry had predicted Lucious Malfoy appeared at his Manor, with great gash running down his right arm and many bruises, late that same night. Thanks to Harry's warning the Order of the Phoenix was already there, they took him back to the fortress before anyone knew he'd been there. That evening Harry went to the Fortress with the Silver Patrol.  
  
Harry hurried down to the interrogation rooms, he opened a door into a long hallway, at the end were two doors, one leading to the highest security cells, another to lower security cells. Along the hall was the office, and three interrogation rooms, he entered the second.  
  
Inside Sirius, Albus, Remus, Severus, Sarlan, Miranda, Mundungus, Aram, Alanna, Shenya, and Darra, the chief of the interrogations and prison complex were sitting in wooden chair about the room, against one wall, tied in a wooden chair, was Lucious Malfoy. Harry took a seat in one of the empty ones, Qartal, one of the Order's best interrogators and one-time spy among the death eaters, was sitting at a table with a few sheet of parchment, quills, and ink.  
  
"So Lucious, to start, who was it that was really killed in the fight where you "died"?" Miranda asked, Harry noticed her blood rod on the armrest of her chair, the gold chain attached to her bracelet, her fingers played on the ruby handle and it glowed a little. Malfoy remained silent.  
  
"If you do not answer then we will have to get the answers out of you in another manner." Sirius warned him threateningly. Malfoy spat.  
  
"Qartal please note that he was given plenty of opportunities to answer without being hurt and refused." Miranda said, picking up the blood rod she stepped forwards and tapped Lucious lightly on the ear with it. Lucious's face contorted n pain and he gasped.  
  
"Well?" He remained silent. Miranda calmly dragged the rod over the bridge of his nose and down one cheek, Lucious's screams echoed in the room and down the halls. But the prisons were far underground and no one but other prisoners would hear his cries.  
  
As the interrogation continued Lucious finally began to talk, urged on by the blood rod's painful effectiveness.  
  
"Who was he?"  
  
"His name was Brian Lestrang."  
  
"A son of the Mr. and Mrs. Lestrang, Voldemort's supporters?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"He died?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Where were you?"  
  
"I don't have to tell you that!" Miranda smiled sweetly, her hand went around his head from behind and tilted it back, and she drew the blood rod slowly across his throat. Harsh choking screams rang out and she moved it back across his throat and put the side of his face before releasing him and moving back around the front. She repeated her question.  
  
"Back at the…the hideout. Our base at the time." Lucious whispered weakly, head bowed, coughing and shuddering.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"New Mexico."  
  
"Doing what?" Here Lucious resisted again, or tried to, the blood rod trailing down the back of his head made him scream and nearly faint, as he gasped for breath Miranda repeated the question.  
  
"Organizing a group to attack a village that evening!"  
  
"Where was this village?"  
  
"Iran!"  
  
"Did you attack?"  
  
"Y-yes."  
  
"Elaborate, what happened?"  
  
"We killed four muggles, fun too, made them scream, arrrrrggggh! S-stop! Then a group of Order Agents arrived, killed three dementors, we left."  
  
"You ran for Minister of magic in the disguise of Savral, who is a death eater?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Where is Savral now?" Lucious tried to attack, he jerked the chair about and tried to rip his hands free or break the chair, Miranda laughed and kicked the hair hard, it fell to the floor, slamming him onto his side, Lucious swore.  
  
"Bad boy Lucious, you should know better."  
  
"What /are/ you? You monster!" Miranda chuckled mercilessly.  
  
"I Lucious am a trained Interrogator. Yes that should surprise you, thought they were all dead? The strong survive Lucious, and I was strong. You'll have to learn to be more obedient Lucious, you're not getting away from here or me for a /long/ time." She calmly knelt beside him and began to tickle him with the rod, dragging it lightly along his ribs, opening one of his clenched fists she put the rod in it, his muscles contracted in pain, closing his hand around it, he screamed and screamed until she removed it from his hand.  
  
"Now be a good boy and tell me where Savral is."  
  
"W-with the Lord."  
  
"Voldemort."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What did you plan to do?"  
  
"Appear again, alive, rejoin the Ministry, with valuable information about the…the death eaters, I'd be accepted." Here he stopped again, after a little "persuasion" from the blood rod in his ear, he continued. "I'd try to find evidence against Weasely, try to have the election happen again, claim I wasn't there and so it wasn't fair, I'd get a strong sympathy vote. Once I had the Ministry I would turn it over to my lord."  
  
The interrogation went on and on, by midnight Lucious was weeping from pain, Miranda had taken to using the rod before asking every question; she finally straightened and untied him.  
  
"Stand up." He shakily stood, "that's been enough for today, your information will be sent to the Ministry, trial already took place but a second trial is coming up in a week. Until then we have permission to do whatever we can or wish to to get information from you. Misbehave or attempt to escape and you'll be lucky to get killed, if not I'll make you wish you'd never been born." Dara and two guards, Fred and George, escorted him down to a maximum-security cell. Fred and George weren't being particularly gentle with their prisoner either.  
  
Harry returned to Hogwarts, tired, but he now had more information and had been a round a death eater, one of Voldemort's best, he would certainly have dreams tonight.  
  
**  
  
And he did dream, visions of the tortures Lucious had preformed predominated, there were also meeting with Voldemort, the most recent was the most informative.  
  
Voldemort and Lucious Malfoy sat in a small room, a fire burned in the hearth.  
  
"My Lord about the Elementals…are you certain you can control the?"  
  
"Are you questioning my ability Lucious?" Voldemort hissed.  
  
"No, no, my Lord! I-I am, afraid, if something should go wrong…"  
  
"Nothing will go wrong, Potter and the Order can't fight them all."  
  
"Please my lord, remind me, how many are there?"  
  
"Seven left Lucious, three of them ours."  
  
"You have worked miracles my lord, no one else could possibly have done it."  
  
"Of course not!"  
  
"My lord, I-I didn't mean to insult your glorious self." Voldemort sighed and petted the head of the snake coiled at his feet.  
  
"I know Lucious, remember I know all. When they hatch they shall attack, all six, and we shall attack as well."  
  
"I await the day eagerly when you shall rule the world as you deserve."  
  
"So do I, now return to the Manor. Remember, no air of aristocracy, act beaten and tortured, humble and in pain."  
  
"Yes my lord." Lucious stood, bowed deeply, and left.  
  
Harry sat up quickly, well well, so Voldemort had three Elementals, and one wasn't even alive!  
  
"How surprised you will be Tom, I may die, probably will, but not before I make sure they're all safe." Harry whispered, then he picked up the parchment, checking the clock he saw that it was 5:23 am, well he wasn't going back to sleep after seeing those tortures…perhaps he'd go work on his fighting abilities.  
  
  
  
  
  
Review Please, next chapter coming soon!  
  
Will Harry die?  
  
What will happen with the Elementals?  
  
Find out soon! 


	30. Chapter 30 Spies and Secret Agents

Thank you so much everyone who reviewed! Nothin' 'bout the Elementals in this chapter, mostly just undercover work, find out who some of Harry's spies are, not sayin' no more here. Kinda short.  
  
Chapter 30 Spies and Secret Agents  
  
The air was warm, hinting of the coming spring, a soft breeze played about carrying sounds of chatter and laughter with it. Red, violets, blues, and golds burned on the horizon as the sun set, but their beauty was lost on the tall young man leaning against a brick wall just outside the Leaky Caldron on the Diagon Alley side. He was dressed entirely in black, black sleeveless shirt, black polished boots, and black pants, attached just under his throat with a black clasp with a gold lightning bolt on, it his black hooded cloak stirred slightly about him and folded itself around him. His arms were crossed over his chest, half covered by the cloak, but he wore black gloves made with what looked like snake scales, very sharp, anything he hit with them would be sliced apart. Another man came out through the gateway and bent down to tie his shoe beside the black figure.  
  
When he stood again the two looked at each other for a second, scorching green eyes blazing into soft brown ones, then the first man turned and vanished into the shadows behind a store, the other followed. They entered through the back door, inside two other people stood, waiting for them.  
  
"Where is the ex-minister?" The man all in black asked as he lowered his hood revealing tan skin and long black hair tied back in a small ponytail.  
  
"Dining with his followers." Answered one of the others from across the room, his gray eyes angry.  
  
"Has One Ear joined with them?"  
  
"Not yet, he is still uncertain."  
  
"Fudge offers him ridiculous sums of money for the single assassination of Arthur."  
  
"One Ear is interested in preserving his life."  
  
"He is getting old for his job, Ersa is there any chance of his retirement?" The one woman who was sitting on the single chair in the room frowned a little.  
  
"My father is getting old, he does seriously consider retiring, but currently he's in a bad spot."  
  
"If he joins the Fudge's ranks his chances of living will not be good, Voldemort would kill him on sight, but the Order of the Phoenix needs someone with experience to help train their people. Please suggest it to him Ersa."  
  
"You mean they have offered him the chance to join?" Ersa looked up in astonishment, the Order was choosy, and mostly took young people.  
  
"Yes, if he doesn't wish to be a teacher yet he could always join and then spy among Fudge's people, there are only you and Dave here doing that, and he would be good at it."  
  
"What if he is told to kill the Phoenix?"  
  
"Then he vanishes from Fudge's view and stays with the Order."  
  
"I will tell him, they'll have his answer in 24 hours or less."  
  
"Not by owl. Give the letter to a snake which will be waiting on your back steps, he will get it to them by way of a Hippogriff."  
  
"Understood, by the way, Fudge called you a despicable excuse for a wizard."  
  
"I compliment I will make sure to return someday." Ersa and Dave left the room and walked casually back through the gate to the Leaky Caldron, carrying bags as if they'd been shopping. The man in black waited for a few minutes, searching for signs of anyone following them, then spoke. "Where will Fudge's new stronghold be?" the oher man gave a tiny start of surprise.  
  
"How did you know it wouldn't be the Ministry?"  
  
"I didn't, but you just told me." The other sighed, "Do you know Jay?"  
  
"He's heading for Belfast, he's got a small mansion there, and built on taxpayer money I might add." The man named Jay said in disgust.  
  
"Of course." Replied the other in a tone that asked for more information, he turned back to Jay and fixed him with his emerald eyes, a steady look, the other searched a little clumsily through a small folder and pulled out a map.  
  
"It's right there, the spells to make it unplotable on a map wore off a year after it was built, he thinks they're still there."  
  
"Foolish, you will be going there with him?"  
  
"Yes of course, I am in charge of his guards."  
  
"He did hire Tarry."  
  
"Yes, without a second thought, the rest of the guards will not protect him against the Order should they wish to take over."  
  
"Thank you," the man opened the door a little and picked up a small gray- green snake waiting outside. He spoke softly to it in hisses; Jay shivered but watched with interest. "Patria here will go with you, she's only a foot and a half long so she shouldn't be too noticeable."  
  
"Sounds good, I'll be on my way then." Jay held out his arm, Patria wrapped herself up it to his elbow, with a small bow he left, leaving the other alone in the room. The other flicked his cloak about him and vanished.  
  
**  
  
Ron, Hermione, Ira, and Draco stretched out on the mats, watching Harry fight with the fake enemy he'd created a year ago.  
  
"Now why aren't any of us that good?" Ira muttered, Harry moved so fast his sword was a blur, light flashing off of it in all directions.  
  
"Cause we aren't Lightdancers." Draco replied, Harry preformed a picture perfect flip over his opponent's head, the figure whirled but he was too fast, Harry used its momentum to tumble it to the ground and take off its head with a single brutal swipe.  
  
"Nice Harry." Ron called; Harry loped over to them, tossing his sword onto the rack against the wall where it fell into place magically. He wasn't even sweating.  
  
"Thanks. Hey listen I've got to go, the Phoenix wanted to talk to me, see you later." He went over to the window and jumped out, vanishing with a brief flash of light in mid-air.  
  
**  
  
Harry entered the Council room and sat down, most of the council was still there.  
  
"Hello Harry." Albus said with a smile.  
  
"How'd the trial go?" Harry asked anxiously.  
  
"Fine, he's ours to interrogate or kill as we please."  
  
"Did he say anything?" Albus handed him a few sheets of parchment with all the information Lucious Malfoy had provided them with over the past week.  
  
"Nice, but he's not the problem now." Harry said, running a hand through his hair.  
  
"Then what is?" Severus asked icily, Harry ignored him and addressed the others.  
  
"Fudge is refusing to allow Arthur to take over the Ministry. He's got his supporters in all the high places threatening to fire anyone who doesn't do as he says, they're scared of him. He's making his own backing, and currently it's enough to keep him in place. He's moving his base to Belfast, to his mansion there. His guards will not stop any Order agents from entering or leaving, I have two spies among his men and one snake, she'll get us a map of the place soon. I've just spoken to One Ear's daughter Ersa, she says her father will most likely accept you offer to join the Order, we'll have his reply soon." They all nodded, this had been expected.  
  
"How?" Albus inquired.  
  
"By a snake, he'll give the letter to the hippogriff…Sea-foam is his name, he'll bring it here."  
  
"How did you arrange all of this?" Sirius asked Harry, the other gave them a tiny smile.  
  
"I've got a few people who are close to the Minister." It was obvious he wasn't stating any names. Dave, Tarry, and Jay were his spies; Ersa had been a good friend of Minerva's and had once considered joining the Order, that was still in the air, she hadn't decided yet.  
  
"Alright, see if you can't use this information so kindly provided by Lucious to See something." Miranda handed Harry a copy of Lucious's information. Harry nodded and checked the clock, dinner in ten minutes, Albus followed his gaze, he looked back to Harry, they stood and left.  
  
"With the situation as it is Professors Remus, Mundungus and Figg will be going back to the Order, right?" Harry asked as they strolled up the lawn to Hogwarts, Albus gave him a sharp look that Harry appeared not to notice.  
  
"Yes, Professor Hemtleburn, Care of Magical Creatures, will be coming tomorrow, and then there's the other teacher form Beauxbatons, professor Chani. Professor McDiamond will be taking Defense with Professor Violet from King Solomon's School of Magic. The others will be coming soon, I'll announce it at dinner…how did you know they were coming today?"  
  
"I didn't, but you just told me." Harry replied, he smiled as the Headmaster of Hogwarts smiled and sighed. "See you at dinner." Harry added, his broom and came down beside him and he flew off to Gryffindor tower, there was now ay he was going to dinner in these clothes, the marauder's outfit got enough strange looks as it was. No need to look like, as Ron had put it, "a warlord," as well.  
  
  
  
  
  
Review please! I love reviews! Flames will be eaten by the Elementals or used for toilet paper by Voldie! 


	31. Chapter 31 The Insanity of the Ex-Minist...

Summary: Fudge goes insane.  
  
Please review as always!  
  
I'm not updating until I get at least five reviews!  
  
Chapter 31  
  
Harry swept into the great hall, he was in a very bad mood, he went over to where the Marauders were sitting but didn't sit down himself.  
  
"Guys we need to have a talk…pronto." They all looked up at the dangerous tone in his voice and immediately guessed that it was not prank related. They got up and the five of them left the hall, (Draco had started eating with the his friends at their table on occasion).  
  
Harry led them down a corridor and up to a painting of the castle, "Hippogriff," it swung open and they all went through into the secret chamber beyond. They each took one of the five chairs and waited.  
  
"As you will soon be hearing in the papers…tomorrow…Lucious Malfoy turned up at Malfoy Manor three days ago." He waited for their gasps to settle, Draco shifted nervously.  
  
"His intention was to convince the Ministry to have another election so he could run again…during the last one he was disguised as Savral. Order agents of the Blue Patrol captured him and took him back to the Fortress for interrogation. His trial was yesterday, a private trial before a jury, none of whom were allowed to say anything about who they were trying until it was officially released by some Order agents who are also reporters for the daily prophet. He's been found guilty, again, and is now being held at the Fortress for further interrogation."  
  
"Just what he deserved." They all stared at Draco in astonishment. "I was going through some of his things back at home, we're going to sell it, all but a little, and build a new house. He had all these photographs of the tortures he'd preformed, and a huge torture room in the basement, recently used too. And there were three skeletons down there."  
  
"Once this hits the papers some people are going to hate you." Harry said, Draco looked surprised.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because they're close-minded fools, who believe that everyone turns out just like their parents, once a Malfoy always a Malfoy."  
  
"But I'm not a death eater."  
  
"Exactly, you could just show them your arm, but they may be even more stupid than that, we'll try to escort you wherever you go if any of the students show signs of wanting you dead or anything." Draco looked down at his hands unhappily.  
  
"Thanks guys, but I can't believe anyone would do that."  
  
"Hopefully everyone knows you better than that, but just as a precaution." Draco nodded gloomily.  
  
Harry's suspicions about the student's reaction to the news turned out to be untrue, but an even greater problem arose not long after the Prophet released the entire story.  
  
All the students were gathered down in the entrance hall, voting on whether or not to have a Valentine's Day dance, when there came a loud knock on the front doors, and then they swung open. Ex-minister Fudge came storming in, followed by two dementors and ten of his followers. The teachers were up on one of the staircases under an invisibility spell watching the students without their knowing. The students went silent, unsure of what to do, Fudge decided for them.  
  
"Hand him over!" He bellowed at them, there was a lot of confusion as to whom he was referring to.  
  
"Hand who over Fudge?" The headboy asked.  
  
"Malfoy, the death eater's son, he's being expelled, he's not fit to live among normal people." There were a lot of angry murmurs. Fudge saw Draco standing ten feet away and pointed at him. "There's the little beast! Guards secure him!" The dementors moved forwards, Draco dissipated into thin air, showing him to be an illusion. "Who did that? Where is he? You can't hide him! I want him out here now!"  
  
"You have no right to take him." Ron snapped angrily, Fudge whirled.  
  
"Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do? I'm the Minister of Magic! The Minister of Magic you hear?"  
  
"No you're the ex-minister and have no power over any of us whatsoever, get out." Harry said calmly, Fudge snarled at him.  
  
"I'm the Minister of Magic!"  
  
"You're mad."  
  
"I am the Minister of Magic! Where is Malfoy?"  
  
"Over there, and he'll be staying here." The Minister turned, Draco was standing a few feet away from Harry, the dementors moved towards him, Draco stepped back.  
  
"Coward! I would have thought the son of a death eater was used to killing by now, scared boy? Yes your secret is out, your one of them just like your father, he's gone now, you've got no one to hide behind. And now I'll get you too! Then we'll see who the true Minister is, that weasel or I! Well it's ME! He's to thick to see the dark in you boy, but I'm not, there's no fooling Cornelius Fudge! They should be glad I bother myself to help them hunt you down! Who knows how many I've saved? They'll re-elect me, get him!" The dementors moved at Draco, suddenly a silver stag appeared, right in front of Draco, guarding him, the dementors drew back as quickly as they could.  
  
"Careful Cornelius, the dementors joined Voldemort, yet you have some of them, could that mean they you are a death eater yourself? Supported by Voldemort?" Fudge stared at Harry, his eyes nearly popping out of his head with rage, his fist lashed out, hitting Harry squarely in the chest, Harry didn't flinch. "Don't do that again." He said in a bored tone.  
  
"I am the Minister of Magic!"  
  
"What makes you think Draco is a death eater?" Ira snapped angrily.  
  
"He's a Malfoy! A Malfoy! A MALFOY! His father was a death eater and he is too!"  
  
"Prove it!" Larquan shouted, holding Ron back so he wouldn't kill the ex- minister for calling his father a weasel.  
  
"I don't have to prove anything to you! I'm the Minister of Magic! He is a death eater! He'd kill you all! You should be thanking me! You can't question me! I'm the Minister of Magic!" It was obvious that Fudge had completely lost it.  
  
"You are insane, you'll need far better proof than that. Draco do you have the dark mark?" Harry asked, Draco rolled up the left sleeve of his robs and showed everyone his arm, no mark.  
  
"He is he is he is! He's a death eater!" Fudge screamed hysterically.  
  
"What did you plan to do once you had him?"  
  
"Take him back to the ministry! Show them all who's the better minister! The one who can actually find death eaters or a shameful excuse for a wizard with no wizarding pride, I will show everyone who's better! ME! I AM THE MINISTER OF MAGIC! They'll be grateful to have me back! Hand him over!" No one moved, some of the Minister's people raised their wands; Harry couldn't help but wonder just what they saw in the ex-minister that made them follow him. He concentrated on the wands and flicked his own, they all went shooting up into the air and fell again into Hermione's hand.  
  
"Fudge you are not welcome here please take your rabble and leave." The head girl said furiously.  
  
"HE'S THE SON OF A DEATH EATER! He's one of them! Weasely may be too thick headed to know but I know! Oh yes I do! Cornelius Fudge knows all! They all turn out just like their parents! He is a death eater I tell you! Seize him now and thank me for warning you! I am the Minister of Magi-" he was cut off as Harry grabbed his frantically waving wand from his hand and gripping his shoulder painfully turned him around and marched him to the door, Kylara and Harugin swung them open, Harry shoved Fudge out roughly, the other prefect escorted his followers out in a similar fashion, then the door was slammed behind them. Hermione opened it and hurled their wands out and shut it again. The students body burst into applause, the prefects all bowed, the bell tolled for dinner and everyone slowly dispersed. Except for Harry who stayed in the entrance hall, when the last students had gone he looked up to where the teachers were.  
  
"Were we too rough with him?" Dumbledore removed the invisibility spell, they all came down.  
  
"No no, well done Harry." McGonagal said, smiling at him.  
  
"Has anyone ever thought of removing him to an insane asylum?" Snape asked, glaring at the door.  
  
"None would accept him, he's too far gone, a hopeless case if there ever was one." Harry answered; he turned and headed towards the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" Snape asked.  
  
"To make sure they leave." Harry said, the door closed with a snap behind him and the professors went off to the hall.  
  
  
  
  
  
I'm not updating until I get at least five reviews!  
  
Advice or helpful criticism is always welcome.  
  
Flames will be sent to Fudge to throw at his enemies. 


	32. Chapter 32 Battle Cry

AN: I'm terribly sorry this took so long, the battle part was the easiest but I had trouble finding a way to lead up to it. Thanks for being patient and please review!  
  
I'd like to thank everyone personally for their reviews…but it'd take up the entire chapter and I'd never get this done…sorry…please don't be offended I LOVE reading reviews!  
  
Chapter 32  
  
POTTER!!!  
  
The scream of fury echoed throughout the castle, everywhere students started laughing, rolling around in mirth as Filch ran through the corridors as if someone had lit fire to his tail, his hair was neon pink and he had pink bunny ears and slippers that wouldn't seem to come off. Safe in Gryffindor tower the five Marauders listened to his raging around the castle trying to hunt them down.  
  
"Why do I always get blamed?" Harry complained from his spot on a huge cushy armchair.  
  
"Cause you're so special that the rest of us pale in comparison." Ira said teasingly, Harry glared.  
  
"You've got the tannest skin." He replied.  
  
"I didn't mean it literally."  
  
"I know, by the way Fudge plans to come here in full force sometime soon." This got everyone's attention. "We need to drive him off for good." Ron gave an evil snicker.  
  
"I say we dung bomb him, do we have fifty lying around?" Draco said.  
  
"Unoriginal, besides I've got something so good you'll never guess!" Harry said, smirking triumphantly.  
  
"Blow him up?"  
  
"Turn him into a flobber worm?"  
  
"Hair loss potion?"  
  
"Hair growth potion?"  
  
"Cross-dressing?"  
  
"No, no, no, no , and no." Harry said, they all looked at him expectantly, "tar and feather him." He got blank looks from all except Ira who leaped up with a cry of joy.  
  
"PERFECT! You're a genius!" She hugged him around the neck, Harry choked until she let go. Seeing the others still didn't get it he explained.  
  
"First we dump a load of tar on him, make sure it covers him completely, and then we dump a load of feathers all over him, nice fluffy…orange ones?" Ron gasped, then burst out laughing and fell off his chair, Draco danced a quick jig, Hermione started cracking up.  
  
Harry proved to be right, three days later Fudge stormed into the great hall during dinner, twelve followers with him, all waving their wands threateningly, and demanded that all Slytherin students go to jail for being "probable accomplice's and supporters of the dark lord impersonator".  
  
Brief silence, then howls of outrage, Dumbledore silenced them with a wave.  
  
"Minister you are not allowed in Hogwarts, you are breaking and entering, leave."  
  
"Don't you talk to him like that you disrespectful git!" Jemima, the minister's assistant shrieked, the whole hall blinked ta her in surprise.  
  
"I must ask you to take that back." Dumbledore said carefully, faintly menacing, he wasn't happy at all.  
  
"He's the minister of magic! The one and only, you have no right to tell him to do anything!" She screamed, the hall started laughing, Fudge lost it.  
  
"I am the Minister of Magic! You can't tell me to do anything! I rule England! I am the ultimate power in the English wizardry, I am the Minister of Magic and I am taking ALL these death eater sot trial!"  
  
"Minister for the last time-!"  
  
"NO! I will be recognized as the greatest Minister ever, Weasely will be thrown out! I am Cornelius Fudge! You will do as I say! I am the Minister of Ma-" he was cut off as ten owls appeared with a huge barrel of tar, suddenly it opened and the tar spilled out all over him. Fudge fell over into it, as he scrambled to his feet under the falling tar he was covered in it. Then three more owls came in with a bag, one of them released the opening and gray and orange feathers tumbled out.  
  
When he finally regained his feet Fudge was covered in tar and orange and gray feathers, the students were standing on their feet applauding and all the professors were laughing, even Snape. Utterly humiliated and enraged Fudge swelled up with anger, just as he was about to burst into another fit a huge sign toppled from the air and landed on him, supported by a hat which landed squarely on his head it stood up high on a pole above him, reading in big bold letters.  
  
I am a loony and belong in an asylum for beyond-hopeless cases. This poor planet has never seen such a loser before, and I hope it never will.  
  
For their prank the Marauders were cheered on everywhere they went by the students, even the staff couldn't bring themselves to punish them, the Minister was once again politely shown tot the door, though this time Draco gave the Minister a good kick in the rear to get him moving. Harry rode up on Lightning, a planned part of the event, with a long whip with a large orange pompom on the end and chased them off, banging them lightly with it, leaving gigantic orange blobs of goo on them.  
  
**  
  
Potions…the most feared class, even the Slytherins didn't like their head of house very much. Today Harry felt especially bad, he hadn't slept for two days, just something in the air that drew him out to the tower tops every night, straining his senses to find something, though he wasn't quiet sure what…yes he was…the Elementals, their time was near. Last night his dreams of the battle song had been particularly loud and still reverberated about in his mind. He absentmindedly stirred his caldron, sending his sense out once again, searching. Soon.  
  
**  
  
Severus Snape walked among the students, criticizing their work, it was no accident that he left Harry for last, there was something strange about the boy today, something that scared him, he didn't want yet another confrontation, especially if this odd mood was violent. Nonetheless he stopped by Harry's' caldron, Harry didn't look up, a closer inspection proved that the ingredients were adding themselves, perfectly, on their own. Harry's eyes were closed, he wasn't dead…but he wasn't breathing either. Snape leaned over and examined the potion, perfect as usual, suddenly Harry's eyes snapped open wide and he sat up quickly, drawing a harsh breath, Severus felt a huge force leap into his mind.  
  
They're here. Just that, nothing more but roaring power everywhere, Snape gripped the table edge. The Elementals have arrived…I must go, we have fifteen minutes before they get here, please tell Sirius. The power was gone, somehow Harry's things were already packed and the potion poured itself out even as Severus's mind still fought to take in the information, then he contacted the Phoenix.  
  
**  
  
Harry hurried to the door, then he stopped and turned back.  
  
"Professor the headmaster needs to know too, all the students will have to assemble in the safest part of the castle and the stone cover needs to be raised. Snape nodded his eyes searching Harry's for fear; there was none, only steely determination and a pulsating power that frightened him. Harry turned and left.  
  
Harry ran up through the corridors to the entrance hall, he banished his things to his rooms and hurried outside. Behind him as the door slammed shut he could hear Dumbledore's magnified voice telling everyone to gather in the great hall.  
  
Harry, so they have come.  
  
Yes Sirius.  
  
How long until they reach Hogwarts?  
  
Twelve minutes.  
  
Damn! It'll take any of the patrols a half hour to get there. There have been attacks everywhere for the past three days. The Yellow patrol is there, but they're only fifteen strong, four injured. Hold them off as long as you can.  
  
I will, get out!  
  
What? A shudder rippled through Harry, he was beginning to uncontrollably transform.  
  
Once I have transformed my powers will overwhelm you, once I am a Royal Aaron and fighting I will not be able to distinguish friend from foe…leave! This last was a frantic cry as lightning lashed down everywhere, Sirius withdrew from Harry's mind just in time as he transformed. Sirius just had time to hear the battle cry of the Royal Aaron zapping through his mind before he broke free. He wasn't Harry anymore; he was the Royal Aaron, last of his kind, the one defender of the world from a million year old foe. The huge beast's silver-black-and gold wings-dragon like but with a light coating of feathers-fanned skywards and the neck stretched out, gold lion's mane rustled and bulging muscles rippled along the horse/wolf body. Huge silver talons kneaded the ground, digging huge furrows in the earth, the tail hair suddenly sharpened, the tips becoming stiff as they filled with poison. It began to glow brilliantly as it raised its head higher, nearly lifting itself off the ground, and roared defiantly at a tiny shape, barely visible between two mountains.  
  
The Royal Aaron lowered its head like a bull and scraped the earth with its claws, snarling to itself, the shape was getting closer, orange's and reds…a fire elemental. This type of elemental could fly, it was a huge, a cloud of flames with clearly visible red eyes and long claws of yellowish flames and yellow teeth. With a final snarl the Royal Aaron leaped skywards like an uncoiling spring, bringing it to the same height as its foe, screaming its battle cry.  
  
Inside Hogwarts all the students clustered in the great hall, with the addition of the staff form the schools who had been destroyed there were twenty eight staff members, many of the Order agents and many were not at the school, leaving seventeen teachers and sixteen prefects (4 per house) to handle over 4600 scared and confused students. They got everyone sitting on the floor, explained about the elementals and the Royal Aarons, and what was happening outside. Then everyone 1-3 year were taken down to the never before used two underground layers of the school, made specially incase something like this happened. The others sat quietly, Dumbledore made a huge mirror appear, ten feet high and twelve wide, so they could see what was happening outside. The shell of rock around the school had bee raised; now it was up to Harry.  
  
Out on the grounds a terrible song was being sung, one that hadn't been heard in the world for over fifty thousand years, not since the last time the elementals had hatched, t was the battle cry of the Royal Aaron as it dove at the foe its kind had fought throughout the eons to save the world.  
  
The two gigantic creatures met in mid air with blasts of fire from both sides. The Royal Aaron rammed its chest against the elemental and twisted its neck around to bite down hard where the neck met shoulder. The elemental's head snaked out on a long neck, aiming for the Royal Aaron's throat, but it was slashed and kicked aside by heavy silver claws. The Aaron beat its wings once to stop their fall and slammed one forepaw into the elemental's shoulder, it stepped up almost on to of it and twisted about, tearing at its side and rolling off as the fire elemental writhed and slammed its tail into the Aaron's head. The blow rolled the Aaron until the two foes were side by side, the Aaron beta its huge wings and moved forwards, raking its back claws across the elemental that retaliated by dragging its teeth along one golden flank.  
  
The Royal Aaron broke free and landed, the elemental followed it down, the Aaron stood directly in front of the tunnel leading through the rock to the castle, facing the lake. The fire elemental ignored the lake as it landed, leaving the Aaron with an advantage; the lake was behind the elemental. Fire cannot withstand lots of water, and the lake was very full. Once again they came together, the Aaron lifting itself slightly off the ground and striking out with its claws and teeth. Jaw met jaw and bloody claws ripped at the others chest, seeking the throat. Back claws planted firmly, digging into the ground, they struggled, suddenly the Royal Aaron turned slightly aside, the elemental, surprised, fell forwards, the Aaron beat down with its wings and claws as they other fell by, flicking its tail of poison spines about the other's legs. The elemental screamed and twisted, raising one clawed front leg and lashing out, releasing another burst of fire at the Aaron's head. The Aaron twisted aside and hid behind the flames, using their cover to get air born and drop on the enemy from above. The elemental rolled away, the Aaron's tail struck out, the elemental changed direction and rolled over, closer to the lake, before rearing up on its hind legs. The Aaron took the challenge and plowed right into its foe and the two fell, scrabbling wildly, jaws snapping, the Aaron was crafty however and continued with its original plan, rolling and propelling them towards the lake, taking many injuries in doing so, but generally giving as good as it got.  
  
Finally both regained their footing, sensing the other was about to fly the Aaron raised its wings in the others way, ignoring the scorching heat, and rose a little, kicking out with both front sets of claws and one back one. The Aaron roared loudly, lightning lashed down, the elemental screamed. The Aaron slammed back down only to be met with a snarling face full of fire and teeth, it rolled its head almost lazily aside, then struck with incredible speed. A horrible snarl and a metallic clip of teeth, and the elemental's left wing was twisted about, it was grounded. The Aaron pressed its advantage over its astonished foe as the other howled in pain, butting it with the sharp ridges along its head and slashing with its claws, the other gave ground, struggling backwards and trying to accommodate this new handicap. Frothing jaws met again and the struggle continued until, with an agile twist, the Aaron turned around and struck out with one powerful hind leg, catching the other full in the face and sending the elemental rolling off the cliff and into the lake.  
  
The elemental writhed and screamed in agony as water was vaporized around it. The Aaron jumped, landing on the elemental, sinking it down underwater. The water ran red with blood as the two fought underwater, then slowly the ripples calmed and the water stilled. Silence reigned, then the water exploded and out shot the Royal Aaron howling a victory to the skies, a full fledged battle cry, it flew back up and gracefully settled in front of the school again to lick its wounds before the next one arrived. One elemental down…four to go.  
  
Suddenly another small flying shape appeared over the western horizon, from it's silver-pale gray color, and that it seemed partially transparent it was an air elemental. The Aaron let out loud roaring battle cry.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Lets clear some things up that might have been confusing you.  
  
There were 4 elementals that Harry found in that cave, all three were killed, Voldemort thinks the one he has is still alive.  
  
Voldemort knows from the book that there were supposedly six elementals, he's got two from Mexico, the other four were in the cave, all are dead but he still thinks his is alive.  
  
Voldemort has 2 elemental eggs.  
  
Voldemort was wrong; there were also elementals in Germany and Antarctica and one a hundred or so miles from Hogwarts. Harry has killed it.  
  
Five elementals are now dead.  
  
There was one in Germany and one in Antarctica.  
  
No one has them.  
  
Voldemort has two, there are two left in the wild, four more.  
  
Harry still has to fight four elementals.  
  
Voldemort owns two of them.  
  
There were originally ten elementals.  
  
Get it? In the next few chapters the other battles will happen, it isn't over yet folks.  
  
Now incase your confused about what TYPE of element those are:  
  
The four elements are fire, air, water, and earth.  
  
There is more than one of each type of elemental, but each time they hatch there is always at least one of each type.  
  
All elementals are female, they are born pregnant.  
  
They lay their eggs five-ten minutes after hatching.  
  
Harry just killed a fire elemental.  
  
He still has to kill at least one of all the other types; there were two left of one type.  
  
Hint: it's not going to be fire that still has one more to go, one of them is already dead, it was the only one.  
  
Thank you for reading, please review! 


	33. Chapter 33 the Lone Aaron

Chapter 33  
  
Air, dragon like in appearance, semi-transparent, burning silver eyes, it appeared to be filled with mist. The sun had retreated behind gray clouds called up by the Aaron, a pre-runner of the storm to come; they were turning dark on the horizon. Their color made the elemental blend with the sky. The Royal Aaron took flight, air was much more agile than fire. It looped him and flew up, the Aaron stayed steady, sensing that the other would dive, it did. The Aaron rolled just in time and lashed out with its back legs while doing a backwards summersault in the air, cutting up the inside of the elemental's front legs. Fog-like blood spewed out, the Aaron righted itself and the two collided, snapping and slashing violently with their teeth, the Aaron got a grip on the elemental's nose, holding its jaws shut. The Aaron curled up, its back legs kicking out, raking gashes down the other's front while it breathed fire into the air elemental's face, with little effect. Its jaw muscles strained, finally it let go and twisted about, striking out with its tail as it rolled away. The elementals teeth cut a great slash across the Aaron's lower back, it's left front claws lashed out like a cats at the heels of the Aaron, but were deflected by the claws of the Aaron's back left paw. Wings beating the two floated apart, then the Aaron bent its head around and breathed fire up at the elemental, which dodged and sent a blast of fog at the Aaron. The Aaron twisted away and dropped below the fog as the elemental, thinking its prey was blinded by the fog, dove in. the two clashed, the elemental's teeth tearing down the back of on the Aaron's ears, the other's tail flicked up and thwacked the elemental along the side.  
  
In a meeting room with a large window onto the grounds the staff and order watched the battle.  
  
"He's doing good, ooh, that had to hurt." McGonagal said as the elemental scraped its claws across the Aaron's shoulder, leaving three deep parallel gashes, the Aaron clamped it jaws onto the air elemental's neck and shook it vigorously, tearing at the skin, and slicing one of its cheeks open and the side of its head just behind the ear. It front claws ripped at the other's side, the elemental couldn't twist its front far enough to fight back, but it back legs kicked in, cutting the Aaron's belly, long scratches, it couldn't curl up far enough to do real damage.  
  
"Lord Phoenix the students down in the underground are getting very nervous and worried, they haven't a clue what is going on." Arabella Figg said, hurrying in.  
  
"I'll go explain to them, would it be appropriate for them to be allowed to watch?" Sirius asked Albus.  
  
"Watch this? Well…I'll send any howlers I get from parents to you." Sirius grinned and walked off, conjuring up a tiny window on his hand so he could still watch.  
  
**  
  
Golden flames burned everywhere, he could see nothing, animal instinct alone guided him in this wild fight for life and the lives of every other living creature. Smell, he could still smell, blood…his own, pouring from a great gash on the inside of his lower left front leg. Pain from his torn and bleeding shoulder, Aaron blood dripping from the back of his ear and along his face, mingling with air elemental blood when it dripped into his mouth. A thick scent of elemental blood, foggy, it smelled terrible, rank in his quivering nostrils. There…to his left, his vision cleared, slash! Rip and tear, then roll away, buffet the enemy with heavy blows of his wings, flick his poisonous tail across its face. A horrible burning feeling across his back as huge fangs sank in and tore at his flesh, he twisted his neck and breathed a huge rolling mass of gold power at his attacker, it couldn't dodge fast enough as the power exploded, burning it along its side. The ground was close, neither had been paying attention, he landed, sinking his claws into the earth and leaping forwards to lock jaws with his ancient foe. He could hear his harsh breathing and could hear flesh tearing as his dragged his claws across the elemental's back, foggy blood poured out, filling his nostrils. Harry fought with the power for control, but the fighting mind of a Royal Aaron is far too powerful for any mere human to conquer, he was buffeted about by tidal waves of power and rage, he felt like his mind was being shredded, he was being torn apart by the gold fire. NO. He rose up higher and fought back, taking control, now it was HIS teeth that ground deep into a frantically kicking back leg, grinding into the bone, it was HIS claws that ripped viciously along the others thigh. Claws raked his side and jaws bit at his wing, he twisted it away and smacked the other a heavy blow to the head with the bleeding wing. His blood spattered into the elemental's eyes, momentarily blinding it, for a moment the waves of power threatened to overwhelm him again, Harry hung on and suppressed the rage and power, he was in control, now it was HIS turn to fight.  
  
The elemental was learning, it used its wings now to bash the Aaron about, the other retaliated by ripping a long tear in one wing and cutting open the side f the elemental's neck. The air elemental used its powers to block off the flow of air around the Aaron, attempting to suffocate it. In other times other Royal Aaron would have been there to aid their fellow in the battles, but now there was only one. It broke through the spell and sliced a huge rip along the elemental's shoulder. In return the elemental clawed at the base of its throat, narrowly missing the vein.  
  
Down in the great hall the students watched the fight with wide frightened eyes. Their defender as streaming blood, but thankfully not yet weakening. The Royal Aaron's natural healing abilities stopped up the blood flow, making it very nearly impossible for it to bleed to death, the wounds healed at a super-fast rate, but the injuries taken thus far would still take weeks to heal. Sirius had explained that a normal Aaron would only be able to fight one elemental before it needed help, but this one had all the power of a strong wizard backing it, enabling it to do more. They all gasped as the Aaron twisted in a way it shouldn't be able to and kicked the elemental a hard blow to the neck, it turned a breathed fire, raked its claws down the elemental's face and bit it neck hard, the crunch of breaking bone was audible. The elemental, fatally wounded, retreated, blood spouting from its mangled neck. The Aaron leaped forwards with a bellow and knocked it of its feet, it leaned down and sliced off the elemental's head with one clean bite.  
  
The Aaron returned to its position in front of the school, sides heaving it settled to try and clean and heal its wounds as much as it could. 


	34. Chapter 34 Battered yet Unbroken

3 elementals to go! Remember to review!  
  
Chapter 34 Battered yet Unbroken:  
  
Reds and oranges were glowing like flames on the horizon, to the east a huge black cloud hung, the trees of the forest swayed and rustled in a soft gentle breeze, a promise of true spring to come shortly. The lake glisten softly, showing no sign of the dead elemental that lay in its depths. The grass was covered in dark red blood, silver/gray blood, and sparkling red/gold blood of the Aaron. The Aaron that stood in front of a rock tunnel that led into an igloo-like rock. Its head was cocked slightly to the side, brilliantly green eyes blazing in defiance, pupil's in slits like a cat's against the sun. Dried blood coated it everywhere, dulling the messed gold fur. The black ridge along its back was torn in places and the top of one of spikes on its head where the ridge became pointed was missing, blood ran down its face. Its claws were coated with silver and dark red blood. The tail of sharp poisonous hairs was straight and proud, despite its slightly mangled state, like bird dogs at point. Ears alert despite their mangled state, nose quivering, its eyes narrowed further. It radiated power, loyalty, and defiance; none would pass to harm those within the rock until they had first climbed over its cold dead body. It was bleeding and it was gashed, it was burned and torn, it was battered yet it was unbroken and stood strong.  
  
Inside Sirius Black, the Lord Commander of the Order of the Phoenix stood looking out over the battlefield, dressed in long black pants and sleeveless shirt, watching as a handful of healers worked on the Aaron who was his Godson. He stood in a room that had been modified for the purpose of watching this battle. There were no widows; on two sides the room was open to the air wit a long pillar at the corner. The rock wall just outside was invisible here so they could see through. The suns golden rays fell into the room, ridding it of shadows and turning everything gold and oranges. The tiny breeze swirled about him, shifting his cloak and bringing in the scent of blood, death, air fried by lightning, and power. Only when the elementals were not around could Harry truly control and not attack any living thing. It was hurt, badly, yet it didn't waver in its scanning of the horizons, in search of any danger. Arms slipped around his neck and Miranda laid her cheek against his.  
  
"Beautiful sight isn't he? Battered yet unbroken power. He's still going strong, three more to go. His parents would be proud." She said, Miranda was his second in command and his wife, she had once been one of the most powerful witches or wizards ever, and had lost over half of that power and five years of her life to a desperate struggle against an asteroid called by Voldemort to hit earth yet not harm his chosen lands and people.  
  
"Yes. They would. Will Voldemort attack with his?" He asked, voicing the question that was on the mind of every agent.  
  
"Yes. He's not one to miss such an opportunity."  
  
"You are so sure? Then he must not be allowed to get at Harry."  
  
"Our agents can scarcely do much to help. Harry would attack us as well."  
  
"We have to try."  
  
"Of course, we owe him that much at least. The broom brigade is here, they would be best. Uh oh." She added as the Aaron abruptly shook its golden lion's mane and growled, the healers hurried inside.  
  
The Aaron began to pace back and forth in front of the school in an agitated manner. It pacing brought it near to where they were watching from, the great head turned a little and one emerald eye fastened on the order agents and staff in the room watching it. Slowly green fire began to swirl in the eyes and recognition faded away as the fighting blood of the Royal Aaron rose, with a snort and a growl it turned and resumed pacing. Abruptly it sat down, tilted its nose up and let out a full battle cry, followed by the thundering song that Royal Aarons sang when in flight to do battle with the elementals.  
  
(AN: my 9 year old brother who sometimes is my beta reader asked exactly what this song I keep referring to sounds like. I'm not going to describe it too much so you can just put in some song that you think is appropriate.) On the horizon the blackening clouds seemed to stir in answer and the breeze grew, whipping at the Aaron's mane and tail.  
  
"Look!" They al turned to where Severus was pointing, on the horizon was another elemental, it appeared to be blue.  
  
"Water," Albus murmured, the Aaron seemed to sense its foe's presence for it turned to it and rose to its feet. Slowly the song grew in volume until Sirius was truly afraid it would shake the castle apart, then the gigantic wing shot up and unfolded, the song became a deafening battle roar that made everyone flinch away and cover their ears, then the Aaron took flight, racing to meet the water elemental.  
  
The water elemental opened its mouth and let loose a huge gush of water with such force that it nearly knocked the Aaron over. The Aaron recovered and countered by breathing huge bursts of flame at the elemental who screamed in pain. Soaked the two collided with each other amidst huge spouts of water and fire which turned to steam. The elemental wasted no time in grinding it teeth into the joint where wing met shoulder, the Aaron roared and twisted it neck and raked its teeth along the other's wing and back. Claws flashed silver and pale blue; red/gold blood ran, mixing with the pale blue blood of the elemental. The two separated, lightning flashed down, the elemental dodged and charged. The Aaron folded its wings into a streamlined position, the two speeded towards each other, at the last second water began to turn aside so it could tear its enemies back as it passed, the Aaron threw back its head and the sharp spikes traced long gaping wounds along the other's belly. It flicked it tail, the tail hairs injecting poison into the elemental's wing.  
  
They rolled away from each other and landed. The Aaron resumed its stance before the school, the elemental charged. They lamed together and claws raked at each other, the elemental got a grip on the Aaron's neck and shoulder and threw it down and attempted to rip it apart, the Aaron breathed fire straight into the elemental's face. Amid screaming roars they tangled again, locking jaws, claws scrabbling for purchase in the muddy ground. The Aaron used great sweeps of its wing to lend it extra force and pushed the elemental back a few steps. Here the elemental abruptly dropped lower, as the Aaron's claws sank into its shoulders it came up from below and almost succeeded in ripping the Aaron's throat, but for the thick mane and the touch mane hairs around the neck it would have managed the trick. As it was it hadn't counted on the Aaron's back legs, which slashed at it as the other rolled away. The elemental used its head like a battering ram to knock the Aaron off its feet, but the Aaron preformed an amazing twist as it fell and landed, feet down towards the earth.  
  
They took to the sky again, fiercely using everything they had to tear each other apart. The elemental let loose another bought of water, but the Aaron began to scream an odd sort of chant, lightning lashed down and froze the water to the elemental's jaws, effectively closing them. But the water elemental had a strong tail with sharp barbs on the end and it brought this into play now to slash at the other's back legs.  
  
Harry felt himself beginning to lose control, waves of power slammed down on him, one after another. He fought with his animagus form…and won. Placing the fire in the back of his mind he drove long teeth into the elemental's flesh, ignoring the sharp scaled that cut the inside of his mouth. He dealt it a powerful blow with one wing, only to feel long claws trace their way down the wing, leaving gashes. They landed and he ducked in, coming in from below he closed his jaws around the other leg and bit with all his might, jaws muscles straining.  
  
Crack! The sound of shattering bone broke through the elementals screams of pain, Harry zapped out again as quick as greased lightning, but felt long teeth rake his back; the elemental had used warm water to unfreeze its mouth. Now the elemental faced him on three legs, Harry took to the air, dive bombing the elemental, never quiet getting close enough for it to get him, finally he saw the opening and dove. The air whipped at his folded wings, at the last second he opened his right wing and swerved, his claws from all four feet settled onto the elemental's right side, he kicked. The elemental was thrown nearly thirty feet before it hit land again; great wounds gaped in its side. It roared as Harry landed and attacked, cutting up his shoulder and side as his front claws lashed at its chest. Suddenly it unbalanced from its broken leg, Harry took the opportunity to rip the elemental open along its stomach.  
  
The elemental got to its feet, screaming in pain, Harry breathed fire again and again onto it, it tried to counter with water, lightning hit its wing and tail and eyes, blinding it. Blind, badly burned, with one broken leg and with its guts hanging out the elemental gave one last try even as its started to die. It leaped, Harry, unprepared, fell heavily, instantly he let the Aaron's rage surface, the fighting power leaped forth and before he even knew what he was doing he'd torn the elemental to shreds.  
  
Now two elementals lay dead on the ground, and one in the lake. The suns rays in the afternoon were starting to turn deep orange. In a half hour they would be red. The Royal Aaron swayed for a moment, then it shook its mane and threw back its head, roaring defiantly to the sky, its great wings unfurled and it leaped skywards, flying around the castle hidden in its rock casing once before landing in front of it again. Slowly it leaned over and began to lick and the gaping wounds along its blood soaked back. The golden glow returned as its healing power kicked in. Three phoenixes soared out of the tunnel and alighted on it shoulder for a moment before beginning t help heal its wounds. But all elementals had poison; while not deadly this poison interfered with the healing process, so even the phoenixes tears couldn't do much to aid the Aaron. The door opened and Order healers came out, the Aaron looked up, blazing emerald eyes watched them, recognition returned, it raised its head and gave one last thundering battle cry before beginning to clean the gashes on its shoulder. It had been ripped and battered; yet it was unbroken and would fight whatever came next to harm those whom the Royal Aaron's species life's task it was to defend.  
  
The sun dipped lower and the orange began to slowly turn to red, near the horizon two huge forms rose and slowly began to wing their way towards the castle. Upon the back of one of them stood a human, a human who strove for immortality and world domination, and now that the world's defender was tired and exhausted he would attack with all his followers to crush, kill and enslave all those who stood against him in one horrible blow.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
2 elementals left to face off against one poor tired Aaron. Poor Harry! He tries so hard! Am I evil? Of course I am!  
  
Did you like it? Please review I love reviews! Guess what the next two elemental's are? (Chuckles madly) bet you can't! 


	35. Chapter 35 Blood of the Royal Aaron

Hey folks! Sorry this took me sooo long to post, I had major computer troubles and half the chapter some how got lost, I had to re-write it! Anyhow lets see who guessed right?  
  
What are the last two elementals?  
  
Cirono Night: Earth and Air  
  
Clark: Lightning and Earth  
  
keira: Lightning and Earth  
  
C.W.S. Matthews: Earth and Lightning  
  
Kaethe: Earth and Thunder/Lightning  
  
Moselle: Earth and ….  
  
Celtic Ember: Earth and Air  
  
Kay: Earth and Lightning  
  
Nibowin Black: Ice and Earth  
  
Delphine: earth and …  
  
AND THE WINNERS ARE: (dramatic pause) Cirono Night, and Celtic Ember!  
  
I have absolutely no idea where you all got lightning from. Remember: You shouldn't always do what the little voices in your head tell you to! Ice I can understand…a little…but lightning? Lightning and ice aren't elements. I could even understand Copper, Manganese, and Nitrogen, (elements, get it?) but lightning and ice?  
  
Chapter 35 Blood of the Royal Aaron  
  
The two elementals, earth and air, flew in, long wings flapping quietly. Earth was brown in color and dragon like, while air was loose with a thicker body and sharper wings, silvery in color. The sun nearly vanished and everything began to turn ruby red, the red light reflecting off the undersides of the approaching storm clouds.  
  
Harry stomped warily, earth wasn't supposed to have wings or be able to fly…Voldemort….somehow he had changed it to give it a better chance of killing Harry.  
  
The Aaron lifted its head and silently watched it two enemies approach, two of them. Blood dripped softly from its wounds, running down over its face from the back of its left ear. It looked hideous, like a thing from hell, a monster raised from the dead, then the head flicked the blood away and it let loose a thundering roar, the fur began to shine as it assumed its fighting stance again. He knew that not far behind the elementals came Voldemort's forces, he knew that he didn't have the strength to fight two of them, but it would sure as hell try. The dark clouds came rolling in, the sun sank lower, slowly everything turned ruby red, red light reflecting off the clouds. The elementals flew on, earth, and air. They came soaring in slowly; with a shiver of anticipation the Aaron stood and unfurled its great battered wings and took flight. Now it would have to use all the power of the both the Aaron and the wizard combined to defeat them.  
  
The Aaron flew towards its foes, the battle song ripped forth from its throat, Harry released the powers he had purposely kept at bay for so long and they merged with his own.  
  
In the entrance hall gathered fifty-eight Order agents, ready to fight should it be needed. Sirius walked along their lines. His brave warriors, never had they failed him yet and he had never failed them, but what could they do for the other one? The one who had given so much and gained so little? What could they do for Harry now when he needed them most?  
  
Screaming the two elementals clashed with the Aaron, lightning flashed and thunder boomed. Fog and water and fire and lightning filled the air. One grabbed at each shoulder of the Aaron, but it kicked with its back legs at one and front legs at the other. They landed hard, the Aaron twisted away and ran around in a tight circle, jumping like a rearing horse with stiff movements of its neck and shoulders in a very odd fashion. One elemental, earth, followed him, biting at his heels; the other turned its side to him as it started to follow. Harry leaped forwards and it hit it broadside with his head, the spine on his head folded back to keep from being broken, his neck and shoulders stiff like a ram his knocked air flying into the stone encasement around the school.  
  
"The jerking jumps stiffen thin plates of bone in his neck and shoulders to absorb the impact of a head-on ram." Miranda explained as she came down to join the rest of the Order. Sirius frowned, Miranda was their only source of knowledge on the elementals, having studied the skeleton of one briefly when she was eighteen…before the historical battle with Voldemort's asteroid that had whipped out a third of her memories.  
  
Harry attacked the elemental still on its feet viciously, air attacked from behind as soon as it stood up again. He kicked out with all four legs, tail flashing like a whip, wings slamming about. His front claws fastened at the head of earth, his tail smacking about air's face. Abruptly he dropped and rolled away, wings spread flat to support him, he rolled back to his feet and roared. Lightning flashed down, air set up a block to divert it, Harry tilted his head back, and dropped again, breathing out a rush of fire. Earth couldn't dodge in time and screamed as it was badly burned. The Aaron twisted sideways roaring at them defiantly, air charged, the Aaron reared and the two hit, slashing at each others, air's claws sinking deeply into the base of the Aaron's throat, getting its nose and ears torn to shreds in turn. Earth hit the Aaron from the side, tumbling it, the Aaron kicked out as the elemental's momentum kept it going, sending it flying away. It was back on its feet in a second, drooling blood from a torn lip.  
  
Harry waited; his time would come, for now he and the Aaron worked together. But once everything was just right…then these elemental's would regret that they'd ever hatched! For now he'd take whatever punishment they could throw at him and give as good as he got.  
  
The Earth elemental roared, the ground shook and the rock casing around the castle began to crumbled a little. With a loud thud the Aaron and the elemental collided, the elemental was slammed against the rock shield, it pushed off and leaped up, dropping onto the Aaron's back, air sent a wall of air at the Aaron, which tumbled against the base of the rock. Earth folded back its wings and just about dove into the ground, air blocked the aaron from getting to it, earth was trying to dig under the rock encasement. Too bad! The rock went all the way under the castle as well…but if it should find a single weak point in the rock…The Aaron attacked furiously, earth leaped up as air nearly toppled over with the ferocity of the spiked wall of power the Aaron hurled at it. Earth and the Aaron smashed together, jaws ripping at each other's neck, air leaped into the fight, tackling the Aaron. Harry let the Aaron's fighting prowess flow into his mind, a she toppled over his neck leaned up and his tail flicked up as the elemental's jaws came down, hoping to disembowel him, air reared back screaming as its tongue, cheeks, and mouth were punctured in thousands of places by the sharp poisoned tail hairs. The Aaron flipped upright, earth screamed and a wave of soil flew up and at the Aaron, who called down lightning to help blast apart the wave, it bounced and jerked twice, the bone plates clicked into place and it jumped straight into the wave, and through it. Harry grabbed a hold on the Aaron again, if he just let it go it would attack to quickly and make a mistake, the situation had to be examined by two minds, then he'd let it go once it had the whole picture in his mind (s)  
  
The Aaron dropped down, roaring up at the two as they closed on it, abruptly they attacked, each on one side of its neck, it rose up fighting madly, and lightning crashed down, air screamed, a glowing tail flailed madly, they separated again. Then attacked, one at each side of the Aaron, who leaped up and dragged its claws along earth's back, it needed to kill, and soon. And to kill it needed to close with its enemies, it dove and landed hard, ripping open air's side, exposing white bone. Earth growled and waves of soil came hurling up from the ground to pound at the Aaron, almost knocking it over. Air struggled free and sank on claw into the Aaron shoulder until it connected with bone. The Aaron tumbled air off its feet and went in for the throat, they thrashed madly, lightning crashed down, followed by fire from the Aaron and a huge mass of writhing power that exploded over air. The Air elemental slumped as abruptly the Aaron tore into its throat, lightning zapped into the wound, fire scorched its neck and shoulders, and the following explosion snapped its spine.  
  
Earth leaped and drove the Aaron to it knees with its weight, the Aaron's tail lashed and scraped along the elemental's legs.  
  
Harry screamed as teeth gouged huge gashes in his back, his control slipped, suddenly he abruptly let go and the powers he'd been reigning in flooded out.  
  
The earth began to shake, the elemental looked up, the Aaron snapped at it and the two tumbled, claws furiously. The wind picked up, black clouds obscured everything, rain pelted down and gale force winds lashed. The dying air rose up for one last try, the Aaron took to the air, spreading its great gold, silver and black wings and leaping into the air, screaming defiantly as the other two followed. A mad aerial battle ensued, dodging and ducking about, but air was dying and it knew it. In one last desperate attempt it hurled itself at the Aaron and curled up, all four sets of claws and snapping jaws hit hard, the Aaron tumbled into earth, together the two elementals began to tear the Aaron apart. Lightning lashed down in huge bolts, the wind picked up and hail pelted at the two elementals, the air around them lost all oxygen content. However Aaron's do not need oxygen as much as other creatures, they can hold their breathe for up to a half hour. A wave of earth rose up, the Aaron roared a few short notes of battle song, the clouds were ripped open as a gigantic lightning bolt streaked downwards, fire ripped forth from the Aaron mouth, startling earth into dodging, keeping it form countering the lightning attack. With a roll of thunder that temporarily deafened the watchers the lightning hit and the ground split open, swallowing the wave of earth. Suddenly air went limp and tumbled from the sky, it head nearly torn off. The Aaron had seized its momentary confusion and deafness to twisted up from under it and slice its throat. Earth pulled away from the Aaron shortly before they both hit land again, as it twisted away it back claws raked down the Aaron and across one gleaming emerald eye.  
  
The Aaron's tortured scream pierced the night, blood gushed form its mangled eye, it got up, roaring madly, earth charged. Lightning crashed down around them and the earth shook as the two powerful creatures charged and attacked. The two met in a clash of claws and teeth and roars of rage. The ground shuddered and rippled, lightning burned the air, now the full power of the wizard came into play, the Aaron's glow increased and it sent a huge wave of freezing air at earth, freezing the rain into small sharp daggers of ice. Earth reeled away from the wind before one of the flying ice chunks blinded it, the Aaron tossed its head, its mane turned to flames, hot acid ran from its claws deep into the ground, the soil began to melt, the Aaron lashed out, the elemental screamed as the acid bit deeply into its flesh and bone. One powerful sweep of a fiery wing sent the molten rock cascading straight onto earth who leaped and tumbled away, howling in pain. The Aaron stopped the flow of acid and snarled, it charged the elemental, roaring a battle cry. Earth slammed the Aaron aside, it ripped at earth's wings, abruptly the Aaron dropped low and snapped at a back leg, the crack of breaking bone echoed about, earth's scream of pain followed. The two clashed, even as earth's leg gave way. It's teeth fastened at the back of the Aaron's neck and trailed down its back, leaving flowing rivers of blood. The Aaron's teeth tore at the elemental's underside, slashing it apart, trying to disembowel it. They rolled and fought, suddenly they were in the air again and clashed, despite it's blood filled eyes the Aaron fought like it could see perfectly.  
  
Harry slipped away gracefully from his attacker, twining about it at top speed like he would on a broom, drawing earth into the air then back to land again, never missing a chance to slash of whip the elemental with his tail or claws. He speeded up and rose higher, the elemental became confused, its enemy seemed to be everywhere, the Aaron slid away from earth like fog only to rip at it from a completely different angle, Harry kept up the pace despite his growing exhaustion until it had no idea where he was, then he shot in, ripping at the back of the earth elemental. It finally struggled free and kicked him rapidly in the face, gouging deeper into his wounded eye, with a roar of pain Harry abandoned that attack.  
  
Through a haze of red, exhaustion, and overwhelming pain Harry saw his chance, and took it, knowing what the consequence would be. He flew and rolled, and twisted his neck sideways to bite. His jaws ripped open the elemental from just under its chin down to its front legs as he flew at it then dropped under it at the last second. The throat poured blood, even as he righted himself he felt the way the jaws and claws twisted at his left wing, and screamed as he felt it crack and break. Ignoring the pain he managed to land, the elemental slammed into the ground. Mortally wounded it tried to continue its attack and leaped forwards, the Aaron met it and with a skillful twist of its neck and jaws threw it onto it back and ripped open its neck even further before backing off, staggering and nearly falling as the front claws of the elemental lashed out one last time and horribly lacerated its left front leg.  
  
The elemental slowly thrashed its life out on the ground, the rain stopped, but the black clouds remained. The Aaron turned silently, one wing hanging brokenly, one eye a mass of torn flesh and blood. Wounds covered the graceful body and blood flowed heavily from them. Its head dipped and it walked back to stand before the rock encased castle, head hanging in sorrow and pain and exhaustion. It was dead tired, and suffering from blood loss, the head swayed and eyes blinked away blood, the tail hanging lifelessly and the wings battered and drooping like the tattered ears. Then it sat and slowly tilted its great tattered muzzle upwards and let out a single long howl.  
  
As he howled Harry felt a strange presence dip into his mind in wave of gold, the Aaron and he joined, now he was in control. A symbol began to emerge in his mind even as he sang the song of the Royal Aarons, the sad cry ripping through a throat torn by past roars and screams. As his tired eye closed and he sank sideways to the ground in utter exhaustion the symbol slowly solidified, burning white and black in the gold.  
  
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He he he what happens next? (maniacal laughter) Will Harry be crippled for life? Find out soon! Please remember to review! Do you like my fighting scenes? I love writing fighting scenes…but I like reading reviews even more! 


	36. Chapter 36 Awakening

Hello peeps! I'm Baaaaack!  
  
I'd just like to thank everyone who reviewed! This chapter is a little slow after the last action packed ones, but I think you'll live. Remember to review please!  
  
Chapter 36 Awakening  
  
"Well done." Harry turned, through the golden mists a figure emerged. It lowered a deep red hood; Harry smiled as he instantly recognized Merlin's face. He had seen Merlin five or six times in his dreams and visions, though they had only conversed twice.  
  
"Thank you…they are safe aren't they?" Merlin smiled at Harry's worry over those he tried so hard to protect.  
  
"Yes, for now, they will do fine."  
  
"Voldemort will attack." It wasn't a question.  
  
"You work too hard Harry, yes he will attack, that is a given. Rest for now, when was the last time you slept?" Merlin asked with concern, Harry thought hard about that.  
  
"About three days ago, the pressure to transform was too much beyond that point to relax."  
  
"They are not helpless Harry, they can handle Voldemort." Merlin said reassuringly, Harry nodded, another presence was growing in is mind; he turned a little to the right and watched as three more figures emerged. Emrys, Godric, and Ambrosius, he gave them a small respectful bow as they approached.  
  
"That was a nice fight Harry, how do you feel." Godric asked.  
  
"For now I am fine, if and when I wake I'll probably feel like I got mauled by a rampaging hippogriff." The others nodded, Harry did not ask if he would live, they couldn't answer that, for they didn't really know.  
  
"You have been working yourself much too hard over the past few months Harry, you need to stop." Ambrosius admonished him.  
  
"And I quote: If you are not useful to others what use is there in life?" Emrys chuckled as his twin frowned.  
  
"Yes, yes, but you cannot be useful if you work yourself to exhaustion. Let others handle some things, they need to feel useful as well." Harry nodded in calm agreement, then he held up his palm and faced them. For a moment they all looked at the symbol glowing gold on it, a circle, around the circle were eight pointed triangles, like the points of a star. Two small lightning bolts came down from between the upper points on both sides of the circle. The lightning bolts went about a third of the way to the center of the circle then stopped. This left a circle with eight points, three along the top arch, a lightning bolt after them on both sides, then the other six around the rest of it. Below the symbol in the center of his palm and to the left was a rune for air. Below the symbol and to the right was a rune for earth. Above the symbol and to its left was a rune for fire, above the symbol and to the right was the rune for water.  
  
(AN: unfortunately you can't put pictures on FF.net, this really sucks. I've tried to describe the symbol as best I can. If you would like a picture of it email me and I can send you it.)  
  
"Oh my, now this is new." Merlin whispered, taking Harry's palm he examined it slowly.  
  
"I have no idea what it does…or means."  
  
"It has the four elements, my symbol, lightning, the circle with the eight points of our line…and I can channel power through it. I used it to put a disintegration curse on the unhatched elemental Voldemort took. Godric looked up from examining Harry's palm.  
  
"This symbol…you can perform wand less magic through it more easily than without it…but the element runes are odd." He said, Emrys looked at the runes closely.  
  
"I wonder if you can use the elements now…that would be an awesome power, there ahs never been anyone who could channel the elements." Harry held up his palm and tried to call fire…nothing happened.  
  
"Well in the state you're in I'm not surprised, we will try to find out what it is, rest now Harry, and try to heal." Merlin murmured, slowly they faded away, Harry sighed and closed his eyes he was very tired.  
  
**  
  
Dire wolves are about six feet long and four feet high at the shoulder, therefore they're not often invited into a house, they take up too much space. But Flame nevertheless managed to get into the hospital wing, where he curled up on the empty bed beside Harry's to wait. Once a dire wolf gives its loyalty and trust they don't waver, for that entire week he only left his young master's side for a few hours each day to make sure his pack was okay.  
  
Lightning, now the lead stallion of the Order's war unicorns, also tried, and failed, to get in. Instead he moped about outside on the grounds with the half-grown Basilisk and the other order animals.  
  
Jewelanarah the fire lion also managed to find a way inside and up to the hospital wing, she spent most the days resting her head on Harry's bed or curled up on a rug beside the window.  
  
For a week the papers reported nothing but the fight and Harry's condition. The whole story about the elementals and the Royal Aaron became such common knowledge that anyone who didn't know the entire story was asked if they'd been living in a whole in the ground for a year. Everywhere in the world the story was reported accurately and continuously to everyone, by the end of a week twenty four thousand letters had arrived for Harry from people from every imaginable place. All wanting to thank him and ask how he was doing…and more often than not for an autograph and answers to a few questions about himself.  
  
For a week Harry lay in a coma, the healer's thought he'd died and had announced the news five times, but each time he'd be breathing again, barely, ten minutes later. Elemental inflicted wounds are difficult to heal, and magical healing doesn't work very well on them. Once Harry woke his powers would kick in and he would heal quickly, but until then it was all the healers could do to keep the wounds from becoming infected.  
  
For the students that week was a tough one, everyone was worried abut their friend, but no one besides the prefects was allowed into the hospital wing. The Marauders spent nearly the whole week up there, classes could go to hell for all they cared, thought he teachers were so distracted that they weren't teaching much anymore anyway. The rest of the school was so hungry for knowledge about Harry's condition that the Marauders eventually took to joining the rest of the school during meals to tell the students anything new that occurred.  
  
As far as Harry's injuries went the healers one and all said that he'd been hurt badly enough to kill three humans, his was literally ripped to shreds. An examination of his left leg revealed that it had been so badly lacerated, and broken in two places, that he would most likely have a slight limp for the rest of his life. Of his ruined eye they could say nothing. The eye itself had been ripped badly…but there was a chance that the Aaron's eyelids, of which it had three layers, all of them made from strong scales, might have prevented enough damage so that he would only have a bad scar.  
  
Then one day the healers reported that Harry was running a high fever…elemental venom wasn't enough to kill normally, but with his injuries…the Marauders elected to spend the night in the hospital wing incase anything happened.  
  
It was near midnight; Ira and Ron were the only two awake…though Ron was so close to being asleep it didn't really count. Ira was petting Tiger, who was curled up beside Harry, when she saw Harry stir. A glance at a crystal beside the bed showed it to be glowing blue, his fever was gone, it would have been red if it wasn't. Again Harry moved, Ira kicked Ron and grabbed Harry's hand as he twisted, trying to keep a cast on his wrist still.  
  
"W-what? Ira?" Ron asked in confusion.  
  
"Sh! He's waking!" Ron leaned forwards, Harry's eyelids flickered, he elbowed Draco and shook Hermione to wake them.  
  
"What?" Hermione moaned in her sleep.  
  
"Harry's waking!" Draco sat up and Hermione nearly jumped out of her seat. They watched their friend closely, holding their breath, Harry shivered suddenly, then slowly his right eye-the undamaged one-opened. A tiny smile spread across his face and he squeezed Ira's hand.  
  
"Harry?" Draco turned to wake the adults who were asleep in their chairs. Sirius, Miranda, Arabella, and Remus had also spent the night.  
  
"No." he stopped at the soft whisper, and turned back to Harry. "They…need….sleep." Harry whispered, then slowly the eye closed and he relaxed again.  
  
**  
  
The next morning the adults woke to find the teenagers very excited.  
  
"What is it with you this morning?" Miranda asked them as she conjure din breakfast for them all.  
  
"Harry woke up last night!" There was a crash as the trays Miranda had conjured fell to the floor.  
  
"He woke up and you didn't wake us?" Sirius asked angrily, they all winced.  
  
"Er…he said you all needed sleep." Ron said, Miranda cleaned up the trays with an angry sniff.  
  
"next time he wake sup tell us no matter what he says." They all nodded, "however with his current condition that probably won't be for another week or so."  
  
**  
  
Miranda proved to be correct, seven days later Harry woke in the evening.  
  
Harry swam up through the dark; he needed to wake up already. Slowly he opened one eye…one eye? Oh, yes, the other had been damaged in the fight. His whole body hurt, he sighed and grimaced, he'd broken quite a few ribs too. Suddenly his eye focused on the people sitting around him.  
  
"Evnin' yal." He whispered in a quiet drawl. Relieved smiles broke out all around.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
See, I didn't kill him…yet! Next chapter hopefully coming soon! Please review! What does the symbol mean? 


	37. Chapter 37 Healing

Thank you thank you thank you everyone who reviewed!  
  
  
  
Chapter 37  
  
It'll be another two weeks or so before you're ready to get up." Madam Pomfrey informed Harry, leaving out the fact that there was no guarantee he would live. He'd been slipping in an out of a coma for the whole week since the second time he had woken. The last time he'd dropped off into a coma he'd given the healers a real scare, he'd nearly died, again. Harry tried to nod, but pain shot through his neck and he relaxed, even lifting his head slightly made his neck ache and exhausted him. He watched quietly as madam Pomfrey took the cast of his left wrist and asked him to bend it. He slowly moved it around until she was satisfied it was healed. As she left Harry turned to the books on the table beside him and frowned at the top one. Slowly it rose up and opened to the marked page. The bed shifted and changed until Harry was leaning back, half sitting, in a pile of pillows. The book landed in his lap and he began to read, turning the pages wandlessly. He'd spent almost every waking moment trying to figure out what the symbols on his palm meant and what powers it had. This was the third book and he sure wasn't making any progress.  
  
He was drifting in a deep gold mist, Merlin, Godric, Emrys, Ambrosius, Nymeria, James, Lily, Drefan, Zafira. He called softly, these nine were his most powerful ancestors, over the past week he had met with all of them four times. They were trying to aid him in discovering what the symbols meant, they spoke with the dead for him and through them he could contact just about any dead witch or wizard. Nymeria, Lily, Drefan, and Zafira were not as powerful as the rest, and he shared less of their powers, therefore he wasn't named after them. Well actually…if he wanted to make his name even more complicated they had already told him they'd be only too happy should he add them to his name…but it was hard enough to remember his name as it was, never mind another four. And then there was the fact that, in the first wizarding language, a language of runes invented by Merlin, his name, Harry, could be translated into Merlin, Emrys, Godric, and Ambrosius. Therefore it was perfectly legal for him to change his name to any of those, but he liked his own. Harry's thoughts were cut short as they emerged form the mists.  
  
"Hello Harry." Lily said as she hugged him, Harry smiled back, then he noted the looks on their faces.  
  
"You have figured it out?" he asked with interest, they all nodded.  
  
"Yes, amazing really, this wasn't supposed to happen, you'll have to be careful with it." Merlin warned, Harry nodded of course, with any new power you had to be careful.  
  
"You see Harry the runes for fire, air, earth, and water, surrounding the sign of our line, with your symbol in it, means that you can give other people the power to control an element for a certain amount of time. For example you could give one of your friends the ability to control fire, for, oh a few hours? This could be very useful in battle, and you can give a power to more than one person. Be very careful with this, giving them this power will be difficult for you, it takes great will power and mental strength to force those powers to leave you and go to them. You, I don't think, can use the power of the elements, but you can give it to others." Godric finished his explanation, Harry thought then nodded.  
  
"Thank you, I will use it with care…is there anything else I should know?"  
  
"No, besides the fact that every living creature on this planet including Voldemort owes you their life." Emrys said with a smile. Slowly they all left, except for his parents.  
  
"Get better soon Harry, you've still got a whole life ahead of you." Lily said softly as she faded away.  
  
"Well fought son, well fought, we are proud of you." James said as he too vanished, Harry sighed and turned towards the door he knew would lead him back to the land of the living.  
  
**  
  
From the door way of the hospital wing five people watched as Harry woke slowly, his eyes slowly opened.  
  
"Hey Tiger," he murmured to the silver and black cat that was curled up beside him. The other two animals had left after the first time he'd woken; there simply wasn't room for them in here.  
  
Harry sighed and glanced at the breakfast tray madam Pomfrey had left beside him, it floated into the air as he sat up, grateful that his injuries had healed enough so that this no longer caused stabbing pain. At first his eleven broken ribs, punctured lung, horribly gashed up sides and torn gut muscles from where one of the elementals had attempted to rip him in half had prevented much movement. The food warmed itself with a silent healing spell form his wand, Harry's powers were still weak but he could manage all the simple ones without having to say them, though he did still need a wand most of the time.  
  
Harry finished eating, just then two owls swooped in and dropped letters on him, followed by another eight…no nine! Harry groaned, more fan mail! He gathered the letters up, reaching out with his mind as he did to the people by the door.  
  
Woke up on the wrong side of the bed I guess.  
  
Ah the Potter fan club is showing yet more support for their hero. Harry nearly shot a curse at Snape for that one.  
  
oh he's going to be really pissed off when he finds out about the other two thousand four hundred and seventy letters form his fans. This from Ron, Harry growled in a rather cat like manner, Tiger looked up approvingly.  
  
  
  
"Ron, Hermione, professors you can stop laughing and come in." They all started, Harry grinned, the grin vanished just before he turned to them, placing the tray aside.  
  
"More fan mail Harry? You know there's another two thousand-"  
  
"I know Ron." Harry growled as he opened one, he looked it over and threw it out, it landed neatly in a trash can beside his bed, filled with other such letters.  
  
"What did it say?" Albus asked, Harry could have sworn he was hiding a smile behind that beard.  
  
"Some ditzy super-model asking me out." Hermione burst into giggles as she pulled up a chair. Harry looked over the next one, snorted in amusement, and tossed it out.  
  
"And that one, Harry called it back and it flew over to Ron who read it out loud.  
  
  
  
"Hey hunk,  
  
Hope you're feelin' better, the prophet said you was nearly torn apart and might die! Like that'd ever happen! It also said you were blinded in one eye! Now that would be a tragedy! You've got such nice eyes, it'd be such a pity to lose one, I hear they're like perfect emeralds! Get better soon will ya cutie?  
  
A fan"  
  
By the time Ron had finished reading it in his fake voice Albus, Hermione, and Minerva were laughing out loud, even Snape was chuckling. Ron dropped the letter as he nearly fell out of his chair laughing. Harry gave them all a glare, his "perfect emerald eye" cold as an iceberg and glinting angrily. But he couldn't keep it up and began to laugh along with them as he opened the next one, and nearly choked on the orange juice.  
  
"What is it Harry?" Hermione asked, Harry shook his head a little.  
  
"Chocolate Frogs Famous Wizard Collectable Cards Inc. is making a card of me, they've got a selection of pictures here and they ant me to choose the one for my card. There's also a survey to fill out and some information they need…oh, it's going to be the rarest card ever…they're only making like a hundred in all…it's not coming out until after I leave school…they're going to have to use both the front and back to…list my achievements…maybe I should send them a return letter with a few dozen curses on it." Ron grabbed the letter and passed it around, Harry just shook his head in disgust.  
  
"Nice Harry, when are you going to find time to read if not answer all the others?" McGonagal asked.  
  
"It'll be ten days before I'm allowed out…now that they're sure I'll live the healers want to make sure I'm okay before they let me out."  
  
"Your eye." This from the headmaster, Harry hesitated.  
  
"I took the bandage off yesterday and did some work on it…it should be fine. But I'll have a large white sort of claw shaped four-inch-long scar running vertically from just a bit above the eyebrow down across my eye and down my cheek a half in or so."  
  
(You know, like the scar on Scar from The Lion King? The one across his eye? Harry's is like that, but bigger.) "The eye itself should be okay though…I'll probably have a limp for the rest of my life though…from the mangling my left leg took. But if the healing goes perfectly I'll only really limp for seven months or so, I'll have to be careful not to strain it. My back and sides are going to be a mass of scars, and I'll have on rally bad one along the base of my throat." Harry gestured to the thick bandages around the base of his neck. "All my broken bones are healed, but I'll still tire easily for many months." Harry shook his head angrily at his own weakness, and winced as the action shook the still damaged eye and a light headache set in.  
  
"Well see you later Harry, I'll bring your books and stuff so you can catch up." Ron and Hermione promised as they and the professor's left. Harry lay back down, even that short conversation had tired him, and laughing made his ribs ache. He slowly drifted off to Tiger's purring.  
  
  
  
There! He's not going to die and he'll only be a little crippled. Now Delphine doesn't have an excuse to beat me with her roommate's Tuba!  
  
Please review! This story is almost over…but not yet! 


	38. Chapter 38 Voldemort Strikes!

THIS STORY HAS NOW OFFICIALLY BEEN ON FF.NET FOR THREE MONTHS…AND I, AT THE TIME I'M WRITING THIS, HAVE 317 REVIEWS!  
  
I think we need to celebrate the third monthly anniversary of my posting this…lets see what shall we do? I know! You can read the next chapter! It's nice and long too, 2,623 words!  
  
Thank you everyone who reviewed!  
  
  
  
Chapter 38  
  
Harry spent the two weeks reading and catching up on what had happened while he'd been out. Apparently Voldemort had attacked directly after the elementals, but unfortunately for him the entire Order and all their animals along with the castle's defenses and a huge host of volunteer fighters from Hogsmead met him. He hadn't had all of his supporters there and was way outmatched and had fled after a few quick skirmishes in the forest.  
  
Harry spent hours reading all of his letters, the other Marauders were only too happy to help. They spent long hours laughing over the things people wrote. Ira got the idea to start contests. Which letter was the longest, had the longest word, which writer had the stupidest name, which one was the worst slut (since about half were form girls asking him out) Which letter was the shortest, stupidest, funniest, meanest (he got some hate mail form people who said their girl friends were spending hours drooling over pictures of him, and some from people who though he was insane…and form Fudge's crowd) Which on changed subject the most times, which had the longest run-on sentence (the record was fifteen lines) how many were job offers from weird spy or defense organizations that wanted to rival the Order of the Phoenix…all of these were in it for money. How many of the female writers put kisses on the letters, even how many asked to come to his funeral (five) and how many said that if he died they'd kill themselves so they could be with him (three) or said that if he died Voldemort would definitely win (thirty) and how many asked him to write back (two thousand twenty two) how many called him cutie (ninety-three), hunk (seventy-six) yata yata yata. Harry even got a letter form Fudge telling him that this was proof that Voldemort wasn't really back, it had just been the elementals doing everything. About this Fudge had come out vocally, saying that he had been right, it wasn't Voldemort returned, it was just the Order aiding the elementals to up their own popularity. For proof he used the fact that the order hadn't helped Harry during the battle. Harry was forced to counteract this strongly, he gave interviews to three reporters, (not Skeeter who was dead). But he didn't allow them to take any pictures…but plenty had been taken of the fight and long lists of his injuries circulated through the papers for weeks.  
  
Harry rejoined the school one week before Valentine's Day. The whole school had gathered for lunch but the food had yet to appear when the doors opened, the hall quieted as everyone turned to look. Harry, on crutches, came in, with elf princess Kylara on hi right, Larquan slightly behind them and Ron of his left, with Hermione in front of him. The entire hall rose to its feet and began to cheer wildly. Harry just smiled good-naturedly and limped over to the table where he sat down with his friends, people were standing on their chairs to get a good look at him. He was almost completely healed, except for a patch over his still damaged eye and his heavily bandaged leg. He also still had some back wounds that were not entirely healed. Elemental blood slows down the healing process considerably , besides his eye, leg, and back he had a bandage around the base of his neck and a thick one on the back of his neck to provide support where it had been sliced to the bone, the elemental's teeth had actually scraped his spine a bit there and it ached. Dumbledore finally quieted the hall.  
  
"Now as you all noticed Harry is back among us." Here he had to stop for another round of wild cheers and shouts of Go Potter! "His injuries are still healing as you can see, fortunately all but the leg should be pretty well healed in another two or three days." Another round of cheers. "Please don't question him about the elementals, you'll find out a great deal about them soon enough. Harry is currently working on a project to find out more about the elementals, especially the uses of their blood, which does have extreme magical powers. You may see him about the grounds collecting samples form the dead bodies…please don't disturb him. The seventh year care of magical creatures class will have lessons about the elementals, you'll also be hearing about the last time they attacked in history class and some in defense. You also may end up using their blood or other parts in potions." Murmurs at this broke out everywhere. "For now the bodies and all the dried blood has been moved to the other side of the lake until Harry had finished with them. Please do not go near them. Harry I believe you have something to say here." He nodded to Harry who managed to stand without his crutches.  
  
In the event that you find some elemental blood that we have missed on the ground do not, I repeat DO NOT. Touch it or get within three feet of it. The blood itself can, under the correct circumstances, eat into living flesh faster than any known acid…right through cloth, as yet it is not certain whether the fumes given off by the dead bodies or dried blood can have any effect on humans…so far all we know is that it causes extreme nausea and for some lung pain. People may also have allergic reactions to the fumes which could kill them in seconds. Should you find any notify a staff member immediately and mark the spot by putting a circle of orange around it. Thank you." He sat down again amid more hushed whispers. The food appeared and everyone began to eat.  
  
After lunch Harry accompanied his friends to potions class. However he didn't take part in the potion they were making, Snape knew that Harry had gotten ahead in all his school work and would have no difficulty in making in the potion. Instead Harry and Snape spent the entire class at the front table working over a large vial of fire elemental blood that the mere people had gotten them when the body of the fire elemental had been taken form the lake. For once they managed to get through the class without screaming at each other, though they spent he class in a heated debate about which tests should how strong this or that property of the elemental blood was. Gryffindor didn't lose a single point and nor did Slytherin gain any. All of the students made their potions then sat around listening to the two up front argue and debate and perform countless tests on the blood, discussing potions on a level that not one of the students could understand. Harry had become so advanced now that he was quickly approaching the level most people did when they were trying to gain their mastery in potions from the World Wide Potion Masters Association. Very few wizards and witches ever got so good that they could pass the tests for mastery, there had only been eighteen this century, Severus was one of these, he had gotten his mastery at twenty, an unheard of age for a potions master, and Harry was considering trying for his in his seventh year.  
  
In transfiguration class they were working on animagus, Harry, having no problem here, paid very little attention until McGonagal said something that caught his interest.  
  
"Very few people can change into a magical creature, but those who can, and a few of those who can't, can become more than one animal. There is a testing spell that will show you all the animals you have the ability to become. Now I'm warning you, only five percent of all witches and wizards can become animals at all, and about half of those just aren't strong enough to do so. There fore it is very likely that none of you…excluding you Harry…will get anything at all. And even if you do you just might not have the mental or magical strength to accomplish the transformation, it normally takes years to learn to become an animagus. Now, these potions were made by the seventh years, drink it and sit still in your chair with your quill well inked, if you feel the urge to write just do so, do not try to stop yourself, write with your eyes closed, try to just let go. Once the feeling is gone look down at your paper, whatever animal is written there is the animal you might…and I mean it….might, have the power to become."  
  
Each of the class drank their potion and waited, Harry closed his eyes, almost immediately his hand moved of its own accord and began to write. Harry could feel it write out Royal Aaron…but then it kept on writing!  
  
A few minutes later it vanished, Harry opened his eyes and looked down at his paper.  
  
  
  
Royal Aaron  
  
Cobra  
  
Caracal  
  
Dire Wolf  
  
Fox Bat  
  
Orca  
  
Wedge Tailed Eagle  
  
Black Unicorn  
  
Griffin  
  
Phoenix  
  
Harry's mouth dropped open. He quickly snapped it shut and glanced over at Ron's  
  
Fox  
  
Owl  
  
Platypus  
  
"Hey nice Ron!" Harry said, Ron looked at Harry's and gasped.  
  
"Harry!" It was Hermione, "your list! Isn't that suppose dot be impossible? Oh wow!" Harry smiled and looked at Hermione's list.  
  
Egyptian Mau (a type of cat)  
  
Blue Jay  
  
Bottlenose Dolphin  
  
"Good Herm, a cat, I can easily see you as a cat. How did you do Larquan? Ira? Kylara?"  
  
Ira handed her paper to Harry while looking at his.  
  
Hippogriff  
  
Ocelot  
  
Nightingale  
  
Flying squirrel  
  
Kylara's read  
  
Antelope  
  
Harbor Seal  
  
And Larquan's said  
  
Coyote  
  
Loon  
  
Harry looked around for Draco, they had this class together, Draco was sitting behind him and tapped his shoulder.  
  
Red Tailed Hawk  
  
Ferret  
  
Emerald Tree Boa  
  
Harry laughed when he saw the ferret, then the professor came around looking at their papers, she stopped at Harry's.  
  
"Mr. Potter that if frankly amazing, no wizard ahs ever had that many animals, especially if some were magical…black unicorn? Harry those went extinct about fifteen thousand years ago when Atlantis and its islands sank into the sea. You seem to have a think for extinct creatures. Ah the Wedge Tailed Eagle…beautiful bird, dire wolf hmm, a very loyal creature. Mind you, you might not be able to transform into most of them.. but if you can do Royal Aaron with no trouble…maybe." Lavender's hand went up.  
  
"Why would Royal Aaron be so hard professor?"  
  
"Well class it's all in the bones and powers, it is difficult to get the human body to change into something that big and back again, and the power of the creature also have tp be created for the wizard of witch's power as well. This is what makes flying or legless creatures the hardest…you seem to have a thing for hard transformations as well Potter, six of your ten are such creatures…stag…wasn't that your father's animal? Yes, he had four but could only do one of them…phoenix? That's about as rare as Royal Aaron or black unicorn…in fact you're the only one…though I do believe that the Phoenix Power enable the good Lord Phoenix to do that transformation…interesting list Potter…very interesting…I wonder how many you can do?" She went back to the front of the room, looking deep in thought. "Now class becoming animagi without supervision and registration is illegal with extreme punishments. Do not attempt it until after you have graduated…it is almost impossible to become an animagus without the special charms the Ministry Department for Animagi…except in um…extreme circumstances…" She let that drift off for a moment, Harry felt a few people glance at him, but he knew that she was thinking about his father and his friends. "Anyone caught trying to become an animagus…and I warn you there are spells on the castle that will alert staff if anyone is…we had a problem a few years back with some students doing that…will be expelled. Dismissed." The class hurried from the room, everyone was talking excitedly, and most of them wanted to see Harry's.  
  
By the time dinner arrived Harry was so exhausted he thought he might just collapse. He tired very easily these days, and from the looks his friends and the staff were giving him he knew that the strain showed. He fell into bed utterly exhausted, the next morning he felt as though a truck had run him over.  
  
A week later all the bandages finally came off and he didn't need the crutches, everyone wanted to see what had happened to his eye and the scar across his throat.  
  
"Gives you a rugged appearance." Draco commented on the scar across Harry's eye.  
  
"It makes you look more dangerous…and like you're not someone to mess with." Was Larquan's opinion.  
  
"You look like you really know what you're doing should a fight come along." Ron said. Ira was a little more insightful  
  
"Your eyes are more piercing…they reflect your mood exactly, you can see them change color, depth, and even shape a little. Especially the one with the scar across it. You look like you've got a pair of burning emeralds in your face." Harry frowned and shrugged doff their comments. The scar across the eye would fade until it was barely visible once he tanned over the summer, and become more visible in the winter. He didn't really care. The limp however continued to bother him greatly, sometimes he just levitated himself around a few inches off the ground, it was easier. Since Harry was particularly good at self levitation this wasn't to draining. When he walked the limp was quite visible, but when he ran it vanished nearly completely…though he had to consciously work on running straight, he'd developed a tendency to go to the left a little.  
  
**  
  
Harry woke up with a shout, and lay still for a moment, gasping, thankful for the silencing spell about his bed.  
  
"Damn you Voldemort." He hissed angrily, unaware that his eyes were like a pair of glowing emerald in the dark. Voldemort was attacking again; Harry shivered and picked up his dream recorder.  
  
It was some small island, a tiny village near the cost…death eaters went form house to house silently, using muggle methods or whispering spells to get their victims. Muggles in chain were led to the center of a field. Here Voldemort sat on a throne. He began to speak in a language Harry recognized as Japanese.  
  
"Good evening. You are al now my prisoners and slaves, as soon the whole world will be! I am the great wizard Lord Voldemort. You serve me now." A young girl in the back spoke up…  
  
"You filthy old rag! You'll be killed for this! Our government won't let you get away with it!" Voldemort's high laugh rang out.  
  
"You my dear are a muggle, this means that you do not have magic and are inferior. I am a wizard…yes there are such things!" he pulled out his wand and pointed it at the girl who couldn't ave been more then twelve. "Crucio!" That was when Harry had woken up.  
  
"Hedwig!" Hedwig looked up form her perch. "Make sure Sirius gets this as fast as possible, don't stop for anything, he needs this!" Hedwig grabbed it and soared out, wings beating hard. Harry rolled back into his rooms…it was time he started working on the Dark Power Stone again.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Bit of a cliffy huh? Sorry I couldn't resist. Next chapter coming soon.  
  
REVIEW PLEASE!!! 


	39. Chapter 39 Plans

Chapter 39  
  
The next day there was a prefect meeting, Harry managed to get there first, he needed to talk with Dumbledore. He frowned as he hurried through the halls, his leg ached, it would be so much easier just to teleport…but if the healers were at all to be believed he wouldn't be able to summon so much as a small lightning bolt until a few weeks into the summer. Damn those elementals, damn you Voldemort for helping to make them so much stronger!  
  
"Did Sirius tell you-"  
  
"Yes, thank you Harry, the Order got there too late, he already had control over the island, and had enslaved or killed all the muggles. He's trying to take over the entire world, starting with all the islands."  
  
"Oh joy, about that program, the one to keep students from becoming death eaters?"  
  
"Are you reading my mind Harry?"  
  
"No."  
  
"That is what this meeting is about, as well as a few other issues." Just then the others entered. "Alright everyone please sit down. Now, last night Voldemort began to seriously attempt to take over the world, starting with the islands and moving onto the large continents." He waited for their shock to subside a little. "There isn't much we here can do about that, you'll be kept updated…better than the rest of the wizarding world in fact. Now this Friday a new program started jointly by all the magic teaching schools will be coming to Hogwarts. It's called TADE, Truth About Death Eaters. They'll be giving their presentation on Saturday." He passed out handouts made by TADE to all of them to distribute to the students. "Now, do any of you know the signs of the imperius curse being used?"  
  
"The person starts acting skitsofranic? (Is that how it's spelled?)" Harry suggested, there were a few chuckles.  
  
"No…Albus stopped for a moment, his eyes unfocused. "I'm sorry but I have to go, Voldemort is on the warpath again. We will meet tomorrow after dinner." With that he departed, signaling for Harry to follow.  
  
Harry didn't get back until three am the next morning. Voldemort had taken over Honshu and all the neighboring islands. Why he had chosen to start taking over the world form Japan onwards was anybody's guess. Perhaps it was because of a recent drop in the economy, or maybe he finally gotten a death eater or two into the high government. Anyhow so far he had only been hitting at muggles; the murder rate had shot up. Two hundred dead or missing in Japan alone since yesterday. Most of them taken away to Voldemort's new stronghold as slaves.  
  
However there wasn't much that could be done, but Harry was forming a plan.  
  
**  
  
There was a Order of the Phoenix Council meeting on Saturday, so Harry never got to see the TADE.  
  
"Are there any ideas about the recent problem?" Sirius asked quietly, he looked exhausted, they all did.  
  
"Yes, Voldemort has sent up a base on Honshu. He neglected to notice that there is a system of caves under it, filled with water. A dive team could easily get through and blow away the entire operation. Because of the spells surrounding it no one without the dark mark can use magic in there. But muggle devices would work very well." A faint glimmer of enthusiasm appeared in many eyes at Harry's idea.  
  
"Yes, that would work. We'll have to put a team in training. Does anyone here have any scuba diving experience. Harry raised his hand, last summer his godparents and he had gone to Hawaii where he had taken a month of diving classes, and had assisted in the exploration of an underwater cave newly discovered. He was the only one, neither of his godparents had taken the class, they had been too busy with the Order.  
  
"Alright Harry, and we also have five others. You six will have to train a patrol…"  
  
"How about we start a new patrol, a Special Projects Division?" Miranda suggested, there was a vote and it was arranged for Harry and the other five to jointly teach the new team. Unfortunately Harry wouldn't be going on the Honshu mission, he had exams.  
  
**  
  
Harry spent most of the next two months studying hard, and working with the dark power stone to try and create a stronger link to Voldemort so he could drain more of the dark lords power. Unfortunately the year old link created from Severus's dark mark wasn't big enough to drain enough power to really do much harm. Harry was currently experimenting with some captured Mesmerds. He was also spending long hours working with the elementals, the possibilities for their blood's uses was enormous. He had over a hundred gallons of each type of elemental blood stored away, the stuff was proving very valuable. With it he could give a person power over a certain element for a certain length of time, they also enhanced the effects of almost any potion. He was even trying to find out if air's blood, which had the most mental healing abilities, could reverse the effects of prolonged exposure to the cruciatus curse. If this worked Neville might someday be able to really meet his parents. And to top it all off there was Quidditch.  
  
**  
  
The Quidditch cup came around all to soon in late April. There was only a month of school left. It would be Gryffindor vs. Slytherin again.  
  
On the morning of the match the whole school seemed to shiver with a nervous atmosphere. Harry and the Gryffindor team ate out on the pitch. The current team was Harry (seeker), Ira (keeper), Morgan (now chaser), Phillip (beater), Larquan (beater), Sam (chaser), and Theresa (chaser). Sam and Theresa were transfer students from other schools, Sam was a sixth year and Theresa was a third year. The reserve team also ate with them, Gladys (chaser), and the McKinnion twins, Pearl and Janice (beaters). Harry had yet to find another seeker or keeper.  
  
Finally it was time the team changed quickly, listening to Ron who was commentating.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 824th Hogwarts Quidditch Cup! Our teams for this year are Slytherin and Gryffindor!" He paused for the cheers and applause to settle. "Now I see the Slytherins are coming out onto the pitch! It's Malfoy, Degrald, Nanahim third year and older brother Nanahim seventh year, and Dimorvich!" Everyone cheered, Harry sighed and smiled, pleased to see results form his work, apart from Pansy's troupe all the Slytherins had become friends with the rest of the school, everyone would be cheering for everyone now.  
  
"Here are the defending champions of the past two cups the Gryffindors! Potter, Smithran, McKinnion, McKinnion, Alanai, and Frost!" The team flew out at top speed to zoom around the pitch, showing off. They all regrouped to hover, waiting while Harry and Draco shook hands, Madam Hooch released the snitch and the Bludgers and tossed up the Quaffle, which Morgan promptly grabbed, Harry shot off into the air to search for the snitch. Suddenly on the horizon Harry distinctly heard the low long rumble of a gigantic massing thunderstorm. But he was the only one, with his acute storm senses only he heard the approaching giant…and he knew that soon this would be more than a battle of team against team, it would be team vs. team vs. nature, and with his power so weakened that he couldn't call lightning if he tried, it would be weeks until he could again, they would be at the storm's mercy.  
  
  
  
  
  
Cliffhanger! MWHAHAHAHAHAHA! I promise I'll update soon! 


	40. Chapter 40 Rough Weather

Morgan – chaser  
  
Phillip – beater  
  
Larquan – beater  
  
Sam – chaser  
  
Theresa – chaser  
  
Backup  
  
Pearl – beater  
  
Janice – beater  
  
Gladys – chaser  
  
Calvin – keeper  
  
Andrew – chaser  
  
Stilgar – seeker (secret)  
  
Thank you so much everyone who reviewed!  
  
Chapter 40  
  
"Gryffindor's Morgan is heading up the pitch, passes to Sam, passes to Morgan, and passes to Theresa who scores! Gryffindor 100 to Slytherin 60!" Theresa punched the air and Harry did a loop, the game had been going on for a half hour, the clouds were just starting to show…black on the horizon, Harry could hear the thunder, but he was still the only one. "Potter calls for a time out!"  
  
The Gryffindors met in a group.  
  
"What's wrong Harry? Phillip asked.  
  
"Don't look now but there's a killer thunder storm on the horizon, black clouds. I know you can't yet but I can hear the thunder. It'll be here in an hour or so…there's nothing I can do about it. I don't have the power left after the elementals to summon a spark right now. We're going to be fighting for our lives in that storm! Don't get all tired now, save some for later, you'll need it. Ride the winds, don't try to go too hard into them, they'll be blowing every which way, that should help. Be careful…I've never seen a storm that bad, you'll only see a natural storm like that once a decade or so…but with what the elementals did to screw up the atmosphere lately we might ave them for weeks. Anyhow watch out for lightning, if you get to tired don't stay on past the end of your endurance, more chance of your being injured, ask one of the extras to come in. You can expect winds of up to a hundred and twenty miles per hour eventually, but not for about two hours. Good luck people." They hurried off, faces worried. They took to the air again, Harry flew off, there had been no sign of the snitch in the whole half hour they'd been playing.  
  
Twenty minutes later the wind had picked up, the clouds were coming closer, Harry was really worried. He did have enough power to sense that the storm was huge, a monstrosity, a deadly one.  
  
Another half hour and everyone knew about the approaching storm, a few raindrops had fallen and people had begun conjuring up umbrellas, Harry nearly laughed. The wind would be able to rip those right out of their hands. Harry looped the pitch once, flew up high…and banked to the right and twisted into a dive at nearly two hundred miles per hour, drawing gasps form the crowd, the ground was coming up fast. Harry rolled upside down and flew along it, using his toes over the back of his broom to pull out of the dive just four inches from the ground…Malfoy couldn't stop in time and went skidding along the ground. But he got up relatively okay and with a few quick healing spells was back on.  
  
"And that was a spectacular Wronskie Feint by Potter, did you guys know that he now holds the record for pulling out of a dive at the highest speed closest to the ground? The old record was set by Victor Krum at eight inches, potter's just halved that distance!" Harry grinned broadly, a roll of thunder wiped the smile off his face as rain pelted down and the wind picked up. He guessed it at sixty miles per hour now…and getting steadily worse.  
  
Five hours passed, around four p.m. Harry finally spotted the snitch through the howling winds and pounding rains. He took off towards it; Malfoy was off near the other end of the Quidditch pitch.  
  
Harry struggled against the winds, lightning flashed not far away. The storm was really on them now. Sheets of heavy rain lashed at him, Harry bent his head against the winds and shot forwards. He chased the snitch down lower to the ground and along the pitch; Malfoy saw and came flying in form behind. Screams suddenly echoed about softly, drawn away by the howling wind. A huge lightning bolt had hit one of the high posts around the pitch, the hangings had ripped free on one side and it was flapping loosely. The snitch veered to wards it and soared up, Harry gritted his teeth against an especially hard gust of wind and followed it. Rain smeared his vision and poured off him, lightning crashed down only a few meters away, Harry rolled away to avoid it and kept on flying. He had to end the match, this was just too dangerous.  
  
They were high now, far above the stadium, Harry looked over at Malfoy, fifteen feet behind him, and the other met his eyes, both their faces filled with fear. At this height they were the highest points, any lightning would surely hit them. Suddenly the snitch plummeted both followed quickly.  
  
Crash! Another lightning bolt zapped down and hit the flapping hanging, ripping off the last of the ties. The huge hanging, covered with the Hogwarts seal and fully 150 feet long and 70 feet wide was grabbed up by the wind and sent flying about the pitch. Players frantically rolled an flew away to avoid it, to get caught in it would be death once it hit the ground or smashed against something. The snitch was dropping straight at it.  
  
"Look! Potter and Malfoy are after the snitch! What are they doing? That's too high! Any lightning bolt could easily hit them!" The crowd looked up and gasped, dropping at a rate of nearly 250 mile per hour they flew, they had been, at the highest, around eighteen thousand feet up, that a long way to fall. At fourteen thousand feet the snitch twisted and flew sideways, both followed, a sudden gust of wind lifted the hanging. Harry heard Draco's frantic shout as it slapped against them, then they were wrapped in it folds. Harry felt it wrapping tightly around him and tossing him about like a mastiff with a kitten.  
  
Harry couldn't draw his wand, he was wrapped up too tightly, suddenly he spotted an opening in the flapping banner. He reached back and grabbed Draco's leg. Harry flew towards the opening, the banner was being swept towards one of the pillars. Harry ducked the flapping ends and rolled.  
  
The crowd had watched in horror as the two were caught in the flailing banner and dragged along it through the winds almost the entire length of the pitch. Screams broke out as people saw where it was heading, just second before it struck the pillar two forms came flying out of it and tumbled down the side of the pillar before pulling out of their mad dive and racing away. Sighs of relief filled the stands as teachers ran forwards to remove the banner.  
  
"They're safe! Potter and Malfoy are all right! The snitch is gone." Ron's voice echoed loudly around the magical speakers. "the wind speed is at ninety miles per hour folks, this match had better end soon!"  
  
But it didn't, the snitch had vanished. Two hours later it was pitch black out, most of the school had gone inside to watch from the great hall where a huge screen had been erected so they could see everything. Four people were being treated for hypothermia. The temperature had dropped from eighty degrees to fifty-two in the past ten hours. It was six o clock and not one of the players had had a break yet.  
  
Out on the pitch Harry called for a timeout, it was five minutes before he got Ron's attention through the rain and thunder.  
  
"Captain Potter is calling for a time out!" The Gryffindors met in a small huddle. Harry put warming spells on everyone. Unfortunately he couldn't use drying spells, a drying spell was considered level three magic, whereas warming was level four. No spell above level four was allowed to be used in the match. And even the warming spells weren't allowed to stay on once the game began again.  
  
"Everyone at eight we'll call in the reserve beaters. Phillip, Larquan, you'll have four hours off. At nine we'll call in the reserve chasers, Morgan, Sam, Theresa, you'll have your four hours break then. At ten we'll call in the reserve keeper." There were nods all around.  
  
"What about you Harry?" Ira asked him, Harry grinned.  
  
"I've got a surprise for you! Two weeks ago I found us a reserve seeker. Stilgar, he's a second year. He's not too good and this will be his first match, but with a little training he'll easily be an excellent seeker. I'll call him in at eleven. That way there will almost always be one of the team members here, except from eleven to midnight. This weather is making nearly impossible to locate the snitch. Be careful everyone, this isn't a normal storm; the Elemental's have a weird effect on the weather wherever they go. Good luck!" They took to the air again. The score was 170 to 120 Gryffindor.  
  
Harry spotted the snitch three more times before his break came. Gryffindor scored four goals and Slytherin two. He was so exhausted he nearly fell off his broom. All three times the snitch had led him on a merry chase, all three times Harry ad been within an inch of grabbing it. One time both bludgers had hit him, another time some spectator's umbrella had hit him hard, he was bleeding from a long gash along his face, and the third time the top had been ripped off the teacher's stand and clobbered Malfoy, Harry had gone into one of his more stunning evasive moves and managed to get away. Draco and he had agreed one the switch schedule. Slytherin was operating on the same rotation schedule they were. This made it equal. Technically they didn't have to do this and be so equal, but the weather was so severe that the two teams were agreeing on just about anything to end the match…beside who got to win.  
  
"Hey Harry," Stilgar greeted him. Stilgar was Morgan's younger cousin. He was small, just under five feet, with wavy black hair and dark brown eyes. He looked very nervous, this was his first Quidditch match and it was under terrible conditions. He clutched his Clean Sweep Seven tightly as he went out.  
  
"Wait." Stilgar turned back to Harry, Harry took Stilgar's broom and handed him his Firebolt. "Use this Stil, and do be careful, that's one killer storm!" Stilgar stared at the broom.  
  
"Really? I can? What if I damage it?"  
  
"Stil the Whomping Willow couldn't dent it, it's got too many protection spells on it. It'll be fine, just keep Slytherin off the snitch whatever you do and it'll be fine, careful off the wind, don't go straight into it. Go back and forth diagonally across the pitch to move into the wind, it won't slow you down and it'll save energy. Remember when you dive, you're really going sideways because of the wind." Stilgar nodded, a determined look shining in his eyes and left. Harry limped painfully back to where the other team members from both teams were sleeping.  
  
"How's your leg Harry?" Draco asked as they took the two remaining beds.  
  
"It aches, damn this storm is something!"  
  
"Huh," was the tired reply, Harry lay down and was soon asleep. He had four hours before he had to go back into that again. Outside the winds slowed slightly and slackened off as a shot calm fell over everything…a half hour later the game was still in progress and the winds began to picked up again, even more fiercely than before thunder boom and lightning flashed, but the sleep teams were oblivious to it all. All of them except for Harry, Harry watched the match through his dreams while he slept.  
  
In the castle the students waited anxiously for news of the game. Everyone slept down in the great hall that night, waiting for news. But none came.  
  
**  
  
At three a.m. Harry woke just as Stilgar staggered in. He stood and helped the younger boy dry off and lie down.  
  
"How'd it go?" Harry asked quickly, knowing he had only two minutes before he had to be out there.  
  
"Oh terrible, that Slytherin chap is built like a muggle bulldozer. Saw the snitch twice…couldn't get to it either time, but he didn't either." Harry smiled and tapped his wand to the other boy's forehead.  
  
"You did well Stil, thanks, someone will wake you if anything happens." Stilgar was about to answer when the spell took effect and he dropped off to sleep. Harry took up his broom and hurried out onto the pitch where the wind had reached a new speed of one hundred and thirty miles per hour and the temperature remained at a mere forty six degrees. A huge flash illuminated everything briefly, followed by a colossal rumble and boom of thunder that shook the school, outside the players went to work, trying their hardest to end the game soon, before anyone got badly hurt or killed.  
  
  
  
  
  
Review please! 


	41. Chapter 41 As the Year Comes to a Close

Chapter 41 As The School Year Nears The End.  
  
The game went on and on, it was evening on the third day…though there wasn't any way to tell the passage of time for the players. They rotated often, the main team got four hours of sleep out of every sixteen hours. The game had so far gone on for 73 hours…and they were all exhausted. Sometime in the early morning of this, the third day, Harry had made all of them get six straight hours of sleep; they had been back in the air for about twelve hours. Four times Harry had seen the snitch; and four times he had lost it. The storm still raged terribly around them. Three players and one bystander had been hit by lightning, Ira, Harry, and a Slytherin beater and a Ravenclaw spectator.  
  
Harry twisted to avoid a bludger and rolled again as he saw lightning flash. *Come on Harry, stop it, you used to be so good at this* He thought angrily, bitterly remembering that not two months ago a storm like this would have proved no problem, infact it would have been an advantage. But he seemed to have forgotten how to ride the storm…or maybe not. Harry went into a dive and angled down the pitch before the winds. He turned up just as lightning blasted down missing him by a few feet. Harry started to laugh as the familiar feeling of excitement and roaring power filled him, yes, lightning was definitely his friend. He rolled and went spinning off, laughing almost uncontrollably as he played tag with the storm, swishing about as the lightning zapped at him, breathing the scorched air and laughing his head off with joy. Glorying in the power unleashed all about him, finally he broke off and began his search for the snitch again, feeling much refreshed. There! A flicker high overhead caught his eye and he turned up, then it plummeted, Harry followed. Weaving in and out of other players and grinning like a mad man. He twisted and went into a roll only a few inches from the ground, as he was coming up from under his broom he reached out and snatched it from the air.  
  
His triumphant shout and laughter, followed by a deafening crash of thunder and lash of lightning rang out.  
  
"Potter has the snitch! The game is over! 340 to 250 Gryffindor wins!" Six red blurs came racing at Harry and slammed into him.  
  
"You did it! We won!" Ira was shouting ecstatically, kissing him thoroughly, two hard thumps to the back nearly knocked him off his broom as the beaters arrived. The cheering mass somehow made it to the ground in one piece and headed up to the teachers box. There a drenched and relieved looking Albus Dumbledore handed them the trophy, Harry could see all the students…nice and dry inside…waving and cheering from the windows.  
  
**  
  
The party lasted all night long; Harry finally went to bed well after midnight, completely exhausted. They had all been excused from classes the next day, and for that they were all grateful; it had been the longest match in Hogwarts history…by twenty-one hours and two minutes. And it had had the worst weather.  
  
**  
  
Exams were just a week away. Now that he wasn't worrying over Quidditch or the elementals attack Harry spent just about every minute he could running all sorts of tests on elemental body parts. The blood of the water elemental had turned out to be wonderful for treating burns. He believed that the air one could be a cure for asthma…but he still had to test it on a human. Fire elemental blood would be excellent for engravers because it was so acidic…but its cancer treating properties were amazing. Dried and powered air elemental eye, when added to water elemental blood and mixed with sulfuric acid and powered fire elemental claw, was an amazingly effective antidote for very nearly all poisons. (Though it wouldn't work on basilisk poison or cyanide for some reason) Harry and Snape spent every single class running elaborate tests on elemental blood…they had blown up two caldrons and managed to create the most effective wrinkle remover known to man. The furious arguments had stopped, mostly; Snape had finally figured out that Harry had almost limitless patience. Except when he was being accused of cheating, now they argued as equals over how to tell if the wart a drop of earth elemental stomach fluid had grown on a frog was explosively inclined or merely filled with a Poison Ivy rash removing pus.  
  
To top it all off Harry was taking his Tests for Potions Mastery. It was difficult, but not beyond him, he even rewrote some of the potions used to create a more effective of simple form. Snape grudgingly agreed that there was no doubt over whether or not Harry would make the cut. Though no one had ever gotten a perfect score or above, Harry was going to try. He had negotiated with the staff to take his History, Divination, Astronomy, Muggle Studies, and Ancient Runes NEWTs this year, despite the fact that he was only in his sixth year, and hadn't taken Muggle Studies or Ancient Runes as a course. Reluctantly they agreed, knowing that he would then spend more time next year on his other classes and on his own private research. What they didn't know was that Harry was studying many of the subjects that muggle high school and college students studied. His thirst for knowledge was continuous, especially in the sciences. He mixed muggle chemistry with potions and examined magical creatures trying to find out what their DNA was like. He also kept up to date on muggle Astronomy and technological advances. Harry had developed a terrifying theory that, should the muggles become highly enough advanced, they would find a way to discovery the magical world and all within it. And that would be catastrophic.  
  
Voldemort still held Honshu, and was making stabs into Australia, islands off the coast of Africa and archipelagos around South America and off of Asia. The Order was kept busy round the clock. Voldemort's strong hold had been located, through information of the weather, terrain, and wildlife provided by patrols and spies and some extensive map work by Harry, in Siberia. The only other possible place besides his castle in Siberia at which he could center his forces was Honshu or the small island of Lively, one of the Falkland isles of the coast of South America. Here he had a gigantic, half finished, base. A full acre in size. No muggle could visit it, it was considered a top-secret government facility…actually no one was sure which government it belonged too. It was rumored that the leaders of the Falkland isles were, or some of them, dark wizards firmly siding with Voldemort. But the facility wasn't even nearly finished and currently terrific storms were ravaging the island. Making Honshu the most likely choice for a secondary base.  
  
**  
  
Ira sat quietly in her chair; watch Ron and Hermione argue furiously. They weren't shouting, both were trying to keep their tempers…but the anger was almost visible…something about some guy called Lockhart…a Defense teacher some year…though she'd heard quite a bit of bad language from Ron about the guy…Ira really had no idea. Across the room Draco watched, looking so thoroughly bored and disgusted it was almost funny. Ira checked her watch and shifted nervously. Where was Harry? They were supposed to be pulling a large prank that evening. She looked over at Draco, caught his eye and tapped her watch. Draco looked towards the other rooms, namely the potions room. Ah, so Harry was still at work in there? He'd only been there since noon. Ira stood and glared ta Ron and Hermione.  
  
"How about you get ready, we have to go if we want to finish this prank. I'll get Harry." She said firmly when a brief lull in the fighting came; the others left the room quickly to gather the supplies they would need.  
  
**  
  
Harry smiled as he bent over the small caldron, they had finally stopped arguing. He heard ira enter and pretended not to notice her until her hand rested on his shoulder and she kissed his cheek.  
  
"You coming?"  
  
"Ah yes the prank." Ira snorted and winced away as the caldron let loose a puff of orange fumes, which Harry captured into a bottle with a spell.  
  
"Ah yes nothing, you heard the whole argument, come on or they'll be at it again and we'll never get it done." Harry chuckled and turned off the fire and put a lid on the caldron. He grabbed four bottles from a shelf, shrunk them and put them in his pocket before wrapping an arm about her and steering her out the door. It was an unspoken rule between Harry, Draco, and Ira to never, ever, let Ron and Hermione argue continuously for over a half hour…otherwise full fledge screaming was likely to ensue to the point that neither remembered what exactly they were fighting over or how they'd gotten to that point. Once at this point whole weeks of the silent treatment from both of them to each other could start, even to the point where they refused to even ask each other to pass the butter.  
  
**  
  
The next morning the Slytherins woke up with silver and green hair, the Hufflepuffs with yellow and black, the Ravenclaws with blue and bronze and the Gryffindors with red and gold…the professors were rainbow colored. Not only that but the Ravenclaws hair was spiked straight up, every Slytherins hair was curled into perfect springs which stood up straight all over their heads, the springs were arranged and colored so that they looked checkered, and the Hufflepuffs had a ling of ponytails going all the way around their head and another row from ear to ear over the top. The Gryffindors hair was fine, besides the coloring.  
  
**  
  
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, and Ira ate a little then hurried from the hall, today they had exams. Harry was taking the end of year exams and the NEWTs he was taking after school or if he finished an exam early.  
  
"What was that stuff you're supposed to mix with werewolf saliva, Himalayan Storm Dragon tears and coconut oil to produce that shiny stuff that is used to pickle those four types of arctic fungus for a year before using them in potions? Question 83?" Ron asked, worried, as they left Potions, which had been particularly excruciating for most.  
  
"Pixie drops, I think," Draco supplied, Hermione and Ira agreed.  
  
"No it's Kraken Wax, Pixie drops can't be mixed with a mixture werewolf salvia and Himalayan Storm Dragon tears unless Copper Crab intestinal acid B or C is added, it explodes. You see Pixie drops react with the special type of salt that is produced when the salts from werewolf tears meets the emeraldic acid in the dragons tears…that I think the product is called emeraldic salt, it explodes when it touches Pixie drops." Harry supplied, the others all gave him bewildered looks, then Hermione gasped.  
  
"Oh your right! Oh no! Do you think he'd-"  
  
"No, it won't hurt you to miss one question, anyway it'd be cheating since Harry told us." Draco said as they hurried to lunch.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sorry if it's a little short…and the potions junk is confusing…it's supposed to sound really advanced and difficult…I hope it does. Anyhow please review…I probably won't be posting for three or four days…maybe more. Sorry. 


	42. Chapter 42 School Ends - Welcome Summer

This is the LAST chapter! I would like to thank everyone who reviewed!  
  
Chapter 42 The End of School  
  
"Step back! Whirl to the left…left Ron!" The gangling red head staggered slightly as he replaced his steps. "Alright now out with the right leg!" He lashed out, Ira ducked and grabbed his foot. "Drop!" He fell over, "kick with the right, curl and punch!" Ron curled up over the leg Ira held, kicked his right leg around at her feet and punch her in the gut. Ira hopped back, releasing him, then attacked again. She leaped over him and landed in front of him as he rose, her fist lashed out, he ducked, and she pounced. Ron had ducked to the side, exposing his entire right side to her. He fell heavily and Ira rolled, slamming him down flat and pulling his arms up behind him.  
  
"Give up?"  
  
"Yeah yeah." She let him up and he stood, rubbing his elbow.  
  
"Well done, you're definitely getting better." Harry told him, Ron frowned up at Harry where the other was climbing up the rock-climbing wall built into one side of the gym. As they watched Harry reached a section of the wall that tilted far outwards and began to climb along it like a spider over the ceiling until it tilted in again and he was momentarily lost from view around the projecting rock lump before he became visible again a she continued the climb. Suddenly he froze and leaped off the wall, falling thirty-eight feet, slowing his fall with a spell before landing lightly. His eyes unfocused and glazed a little.  
  
Harry, could you meet me up in Albus's office in five minutes?   
  
Of course. Harry turned back to his friends.  
  
"I've got to go, meeting with the headmaster and Phoenix. See you tomorrow." He turned and hurried off to change into his robes, somehow he didn't think the teachers would approve of him running around the castle in muggle shorts and sleeveless shirt. Though since it was so hot out, reaching ninety almost every day, almost the entire student body had followed Harry's example of wearing a sleeveless of short sleeved top and long loose pants made of thin fabric instead of robes. Potions class had suddenly increased in popularity, one Snape was off working for this week with the Order, Caitlin had taken over, and the classroom was often the coolest place in the school.  
  
**  
  
Harry hurried up to Dumbledore's office, cursing his continued limp angrily. He'd been working his leg too hard with all his climbing and it ached terribly. The Quidditch match had slowed his healing process, and being hit on his inured leg by BOTH bludgers hadn't helped any. Up in Dumbledore's office Harry was unsurprised to find Professors Figg, Snape, Snape, Mundungus, Remus (both part-time) and Dumbledore along with Sirius, and Miranda. However to his surprise six other students sat around the desk nervously. Gave them all a respectful nod and sat down.  
  
"Harry this summer is going to be rather tough I believe. We'll probably need your assistance in any number of attacks or whatever comes up." Dumbledore started, Harry nodded and looked at the eight students, noticing that all of them were students who had lost their families that year. Draco Malfoy, Erin Satya (fourth year Ravenclaw), The McKinnion twins Pearl and Janice (third year Gryffindor), Andy Vantinle (seventh year Hufflepuff), Tarra Mint (fifth year Ravenclaw), Grath Fort (fourth year Hufflepuff), Sandra Lilow (first year Hufflepuff), Cindy Matrick (sixth year Slytherin, Draco's girlfriend who had left home because her father was a death eater, her mother died when Cindy was eight) "Harry all of them will be staying here for the summer, if you were around any I was going to ask you to teach them some of the muggle fighting arts."  
  
"I'll be around for a month before school starts (the summer was two months) depending on the circumstances, and I may also be around earlier, again depending on circumstances, I'll also be here for the week after school ends."  
  
"Okay, when you return we'll see who wants to learn. You'll be keeping your ears and eyes out for any other students whose families are killed over the summer and such."  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Alright, so you eight, think about it, magic less fighting might come in very useful. Harry will be here at different points over the entire summer, depending on circumstances." He dismissed them and they left, once they were gone the discussion turned to the fight against Voldemort.  
  
"Hello Harry, how'd you exams go?" Miranda asked him.  
  
"Very well thanks."  
  
"How about you're tests of Potions Mastery?" Sirius asked him, idly petting Raslith who was perched on the back of his chair. Harry grimed broadly, very pleased with himself.  
  
"I got a 105%." He smiled even wider as every person in the room stared at him in shock.  
  
"You WHAT?" Snape asked in astonishment.  
  
"I got a 105%, my score was perfect and the extra was because I re-wrote some of the spells to bring out stronger results, or just to make the potion easier, and sent those in as well."  
  
"Well done!" Sirius said…proudly?  
  
"I doubt I called me here to talk about my exams." Harry commented.  
  
"Yes, actually I wanted to ask if you'd like to take part in the order training over the summer. You already know basically all of it, at the most advanced level, but we're running out of ideas for new tests and group- forming challenges. Yotrisk suggested we ask you." Sirius explained, watching Harry carefully.  
  
"More to the point I'd be able to help the Special Operations Division in their Honshu and pending Lively Isle operations… and the Unusual Abilities Department can finally sink their claws into me…literally…and dissect every once of magic in me just for kicks." Harry added dryly, everyone chuckled  
  
"That too. I do look forwards to learning exactly what you're magic is made of." Sirius said, biting back a smile at the amusingly outraged look on Harry's face.  
  
"Sounds good then." Harry said with extremely false enthusiasm.  
  
"Okay, next topic: Fudge." Sirius said, then opened his mouth as he realized how Harry would take that.  
  
"Fudge?" Harry asked innocently.  
  
"The ex-minister…ah Harry you haven't pulled any fudge related pranks recently have you?" Sirius suddenly asked, for Harry's eyes were gleaming. Harry blinked at him in astonishment, then smirked.  
  
"Perhaps." Loud groans came form all the teachers. "Well Fudge's mansion has two secret passages under it, he doesn't know of either. Using them the building can be raided easily. He got ten new followers on Saturday…bringing his total strength up to 84." Harry explained, Miranda blinked and looked up.  
  
"Wouldn't it be 87?"  
  
"No, two of his security guards are mine as well as his backup secretary, and I've got a snake in the manor, she discovered the passage ways. One of them goes from behind a bookshelf in the library to an underwater cave entrance in the pond. The other leads from inside a hollow tree outside to an entrance from the dining room ceiling."  
  
"Who are these spies of yours?" Harry just smiled.  
  
"The backup secretary will be entering the Order training with the other recruits at midsummer. The other two are security guards, both of whom have had the auror training, I trust them completely." The others nodded; Harry didn't often give away his spies names. He had five that they knew of now. Three with the Minister, one in the Ministry, and one at the Daily Prophet.  
  
"And?"  
  
"One of my spies observed the Minister grab at his left arm when Voldemort called his death eaters yesterday." Harry said calmly, ignoring their disappointment.  
  
"We know he's a death eater, but there isn't any evidence."  
  
"Another of my spies made a quick raid of his rooms and uncovered two letters sent to the Minister via owl, one had Lucius Malfoy's signature, it was sent before his re-capture, and another from Voldemort himself." There were gasps at this.  
  
"Excellent!"  
  
"Both letters were copied and the duplicates put in their places, the originals are in my room. You can try him for being a death eater, for accepting bribes from the death eaters before becoming one, and for ordering the murder of Andy Marlboro a month back, and for shipping huge amounts of cocaine and heroin into other countries, and England. He's massed millions over the years in drug deals. I've got letters, the money in his basement, and eyewitness from both security guards, and twenty-five large boxes of drugs awaiting shipment in his basement. I've got all three guards doing their best to keep him from shipping them ad placing tracing spells on the boxes."  
  
"Wonderful Harry, wonderful, could you give us the information and evidence, we'll alert the ministry of his drug smuggling, the raid will be planned for the day after tomorrow."  
  
"Sounds good."  
  
"Thanks Harry, lets go, we've got work to do." Miranda said, standing she and Sirius vanished. Harry went back to his dormitory and sent letters to his spies, first by owl to a snake which then gave them the letters.  
  
**  
  
The next day the raid was conducted by the Blue and Red patrols along with some aid from the Ministry. Fudge was found guilty on all charges at his trial and sentenced to life imprisonment...after he was questioned by the Order of the Phoenix.  
  
**  
  
School would be ending in three days, classes were over and everyone was lazing about. It reached a hundred degrees out and many students were swimming in the lake. The Marauders were having fun handing out ice creams and Popsicles that grew your tongue, made you sing the national anthem, bunny hop everywhere, or drool. The Quidditch teams got together and invented a new sport, on broomsticks they used spells to try and knock opposing team members off their brooms and into the lake, all the while dodging a single bludger that had been given a five inch thick layer of foam around it to soften it. They also added sponge-balls to the game and tried to hit each other with them. The prefects arranged a two-day tournament in Splash, as the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins had unoriginally titled the game, anyone was allowed to play if they could get a broom. Teams consisted of ten members; each team had a color, which they wore to the game. In the end there were 42 teams, they had to give one third of them a color to wear then the other two thirds had a broom color or hair color. Harry's team, the Gold shirts, beat the Copper in the final.  
  
The end of year feast took place amid red and gold banners, chars, tablecloths and napkins. Finally Dumbledore stood to give his speech.  
  
"And we come to the end of another wonderful year at Hogwarts." He paused for applause and all the forks to get up and dance a quick jig. "Yes, anyhow, the points stand as: Gryffindor wins with 890, Slytherin second with 780, Ravenclaw third with 660 and Hufflepuff last but not least with 600. Congratulations Gryffindor for winning the house cup for the sixth year in a row!" Applause shook the hall, this time all the silverware danced including the plates with flipped up on the edges and began to spin and the goblets all belched off fireworks. "I'm sure you have all learned a lot this year, please don't forget it all. With the continuous threat of Voldemort hanging over us any of you who have lost your families are perfectly welcome to stay here at Hogwarts for the summer, or if you have any other sufficient reason, please contact staff if you have not already spoken with us about this matter. Be careful and have a good summer." He sat and the food appeared, blew up, and put itself back together.  
  
The next morning Harry and Draco waved goodbye to the students with the other seven who were staying behind.  
  
"We'll owl you every day." Ron promised.  
  
"No don't, it might give away my position if I'm on a mission for the order. Just tell the owls to leave the letter on my bed at Hogwarts." Ron frowned and nodded, realizing that Harry's summer wouldn't be relaxing at all, probably 90% of it would be the opposite.  
  
"Okay, stay safe guys and be careful." Ira said, Hugging Harry.  
  
"We will, you be careful too."  
  
"Bye!"  
  
"Bye." They both watched as the train steamed off until it was out of sight. Then Harry turned to the other students.  
  
"Anyone up for a round of Splash?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It's FINALLY over! Sixth year is completed! Please Review!  
  
I'll be writing a sequel…but not for a few weeks possibly months…I need a real break to get new ideas! 


	43. Mary Sues

Mary Sue: In this story I have two Mary Sues. If they can be called that. They are main characters, they are powerful, one a lot more than the other.  
  
In your review PLEASE GUESS which characters in this story are Mary Sues. I think there's only two new female characters who get one of the guys. I personally don't think of them as Mary Sues simply because they stay on the sidelines, mostly, I don't write from their viewpoint and they don't look like me. They're there for a reason and that's to help the plot, and because there was NO ONE JKR made up who could fit the position I wanted filled.  
  
  
  
THANK YOU FOR READING I HOPE YOU LIKED MY STORY PLEASE REVIEW! 


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